Earlier this week, the British and Iranian governments averted an escalating crisis over 15 British solider held captive by Iran.
For the most part, the sailors have rightly received a warm welcome upon their return to the U.K. But now those fifteen soldiers are being swift-boated by Brits and Americans alike, including by some people in the progressive blogosphere. As a self-professed Anglophile, I'm disgusted by these smear jobs. It's high time that we stop this nonsense.
As the Guardian reports, much of the criticism of the sailors within the UK has come from
former military brass:
Colonel Bob Stewart, who commanded British troops in Bosnia, told the Daily Mail he was "very uncomfortable" with the hostages' behaviour.
He said: "Although we are not at war and the system has obviously changed, I could still not understand our people stating categorically that they were in Iranian waters and apologising.
"I felt what they were saying was damaging. I will not condemn them for their behaviour but I found it very strange and it worried me. The men who apologised should not have done so. Some say no harm has been done by their actions. I disagree."
On the American side, much of the criticism came from the usual suspects at Free Republic. Freeper gpapa wrote:
What lessons can the forces learn from the returning crew?
- Actually fire back when attacked.
- Quickly apologizing on TV embarrases your country and gets you home no quicker.
- A strong offense is a good defense (that the Iranians wouldn’t have tried it had they suspected the Brits would actually do something).
Similarly, Freeper FeedomNeocon wrote:
What a bunch of WIMPS.
Seriously... I mean I don’t begrudge that they broke down and gave the Iranians every PR victory they wanted.
I just wish they had the guts to at least force the Iranians slap them around a bit to get it... test just how serious they are about ‘escalating’.
If it were random civilians I could see them freaking out and just giving up because they are scared...but not enlisted people... should not be simply mean words and ‘aggressive’ questions being used... which apparently was enough for them to completely submit.
But sadly, these sorts of unwarranted criticisms are not limited to Freeperland. Earlier today, a Kossack wrote in
another comment:
However the behavior of the 15 while captured is absolutely disgraceful. Its hard to believe these people once ruled the seas.
Enough of this nonsense, people!! Have you ever been held captive by a hostile government? I see shades of the Jill Carroll situation in these criticisms. They're all totally off-base and absolutely unwarranted.
Keep in mind how Iran treated these sailors. BBC News is reporting that:
Royal Navy personnel seized by Iran were blindfolded, bound and held in isolation during their 13 days in captivity, the crew have said.
They were lined up while weapons were cocked, making them "fear the worst", one of the 15 freed sailors revealed.
So let's stop the meme that it's somehow okay to question the actions of the 15 British sailors. They deserve respect for all they've been through.
Update: I guess what bothers me most about this situation is the insinuation that it's okay to question statements made by people who are hostages or captives on a foreign government or hostile entity. People also called Jill Carroll a "traitor" after she was released in Iraq, and it was equally unwarranted. (Also note that I don't buy into the argument that the 15 Brits should be held to a higher standard than civilians because of their military status).