From the New York Times
LONDON, March 23 — Fifteen British sailors carrying out a routine inspection in the Persian Gulf were captured at gunpoint and taken into custody by Iranian forces on Friday morning, the British Ministry of Defense said.
The foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, summoned the Iranian ambassador here to demand their immediate release.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said that the sailors had been conducting "routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi territorial waters" and had just finished an inspection of a merchant vessel "when they and their two boats were surrounded and escorted by Iranian vessels into Iranian territorial waters."
The statement continued: "The British Government is demanding the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment."
It's the number 3 story at the New York Times, number 2 story at Washington Post. Pretty odd that this happens on Friday. During the Attorney General scandal. As always, skepticism is high.
Also top story at Raw Story. Not on Drudge yet.
From the Washington Post
The British sailors, assigned to the frigate H.M.S. Cornwall, were conducting what the ministry described as "routine boarding operations" of a merchant marine vessel when they were surrounded by Iranian military boats and escorted into Iranian waters.
he British boarding operation, according to the ministry's statement, was authorized under a United Nations resolution and supported by the government of Iraq.
Iraqi waters and the Persian Gulf in general are monitored closely for smuggling by U.S., British, Iraqi and other forces. The area's complicated geography, particularly the narrow Shatt al Arab waterway shared by Iran and Iraq, has been a source of repeated dispute. The Iranian military took control of three British boats in 2004, accusing the eight crew members of crossing into Iranian waters. They were released after reading an apology on an Iranian television broadcast.
British officials said they were "urgently" pursuing the issue with the Iranian government and had summoned the Iranian ambassador to the British Foreign Office.
"The British Government is demanding the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment," the Ministry of Defense statement said.
The Cornwall's commanding officer, Commodore Nick Lambert, told the British Broadcasting Corp. he hoped the incident was the result of a "simple mistake" over the border between Iran and Iraq.
"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they [British personnel] were in Iraqi territorial waters. Equally, the Iranians may claim they were in Iranian waters," Lambert said. "I hope we find this is a simple misunderstanding at the tactical level."
Let's hope it's only a tactical mistake.
Or maybe it's tit for tat? From the Washington Post
Several Iranians have been taken into custody in U.S. raids in Iran, and the Iranians have accused western intelligence agents of kidnapping former deputy defense minister Ali Reza Asgari, who went missing in Turkey in February.
Or maybe a return favor for U.S. provocations?
View from the right?
At Little Green Footballs
Iran Seizes 15 British Sailors
Iran is behaving like a nation that wants to provoke an attack this morning; it’s a clear casus belli, but with the current enervated state of the UK, action is doubtful: Britain: Iran seizes 15 sailors, marines. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)
Maybe they have a point. Blair is in no political condition to start a war.
From Red State:
The Iranians went into Iraqi territorial water and seized the British sailors.
Has Iran decided, with Britain leaving Iraq and the U.S. Congress intent on killing the war effort, that the West has gone weak? Have the Democrats' machinations on Capitol Hill emboldened the Iranians?
My guess is yes. The Iranians think with the Democrats demanding there be no war with Iran and the President forced repeatedly to say there are no plans, the Iranians have taken the hint and geared up, knowing the Democrats will not tolerate an American response.
Ah, that's right, we're weak, so Iran wants to start a war in which their country is going to get bombed to hell and the U.S. remains untouched. Smart thinking there. Couldn't have been a mistake or unauthorized actions. Get war drums ready.