The Iranian navy seized 15 British Navy servicemen, including a female marine, in a long-disputed the Arab waters between Iran and Iraq on March 23. The incident draws growing attention from the international community as it has happened in a sensitive period of the Iranian nuclear enrichment program. People's Daily senior editor Wang Fang has a wide-ranging discussion with Wang Rujun, Meng Xianglin, Tang Yong, He Hongze, Wu Wenbin and Yang Jun, all PD resident reporters stationed overseas, on changes in the attitude of both side on the issue.

Britain in arrogant, overbearing posture

Wang Rujun (PD resident reporter in UK): The British government wanted to resolve the crisis through diplomatic channels at first. Its foreign ministry has summoned the Iranian ambassador to UK for five times and its ambassador to Iran has time and again met with Iranian officials in Teheran. Margret Becket, the foreign secretary, visited Turkey and she had a telephone conversation with her Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Motaki during the visit. And Tony Blair, the prime minister, after a two-day silence, came out to criticize Iran as "erroneous" and "without any reason". Meanwhile, local media reported the sole female captive was only 26 years old with a three-year-old daughter left behind at home.

When diplomatic efforts were of no avail, the British Defense Ministry for the first time released the GPS statistics Wednesday in a bid to confirm the British claim. Prime Minster Tony Blair on the same day said abruptly that "it was time" to increase the pressure on Iran to release 15 Royal Navy personnel, and that Britain would reach a feasible solution plan with its partners in the NATO and the U.N. Moreover, Becket said that UK would "freeze" all official bilateral contacts with Iran before the release of British sailors and marines.

Meng Xianglin (PD resident reporter in Pakistan): Faced with UK's arrogant and overbearing posture, Iran first issued a statement to declare that both nations were capable of resolving the issue via contact and close cooperation, and then it said the detained personnel are well and subjected to a humanitarian treatment. But it did not disclose the location where these captives were kept and rejected a demand from the UK side to let its diplomatic officials to meet them. On Wednesday evening, the Iranian National TV released pictures of male detainees having their meals, while a female captive who wore a white tunic and a black head scarf read out an open letter, saying that the British boats "had trespassed" Iranian waters and hoped to beg pardon from the Iranian people.

As tension rose with the pressure from the UK side further increased on Wednesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry denounced some British soldiers in Iraq for launching provocations against the Iranian consulate in Al-Basrah and their blockade of districts and streets with the reach of the consulate, but Reuter's subsequent reports adknowledged that the British soldiers in Iraq had already denied the allegation.

Iran swaying, vacillating in its attitude

Wang: The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the British female captive would be released in a matter of one or two days, whereas other navy servicemen would remain in custody. In the meantime, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Motaki also on Sunday cited the illegal entry of Iranian waters as a mistake, and said the admission of their mistake will facilitate the settlement of the issue, and that the detained woman marine would be released pretty soon. But latest reports said there was a change with respect to this approach.

Meng Xianglin: Progress in the issue reminds people of a similar or identical incident that had occurred three years ago, when eight sailors and marines were held for three days after their boats strayed into Iranian waters. Iranian authority announced their release only after an open admission of their mistakes on the Iranian National Television.

To date, progress in the incident with the capture of British Navy servicemen is very identical to that of the previous incident. Ali Larijani, top Iranian nuclear negotiator and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said Wednesday that his country would temporarily suspend the execution of its plan for release of the female captive if Britain goes on adding pressure against Iran.

Wang: What has been the British reaction after Iran broadcased pictures about its sailors and marines on TV?

Wang Rujun: Britain seems to fail to react to the quick response of the Iranian side. Foreign Secretary Becket said she was worried about representations made by the detainees, and Defense Secretary Des Browne simply said such an exposure of the British personnel was out-and-out unacceptable. At present, the British side is looking toward to a positive response from the Iranian side with regard to a meeting with its detained British navy servicemen.

US military exercise intriguing

Wang: What is intriguing is that the United States has launched a military exercise on a massive scale while Britain and Iran are locked fiercely in their heated maneuvering in the diplomatic arena. People could not but fathom the US'genuine intention although the military exercise had been planned long ago.

Tang Yong (PD reporter resident in the U.S.): The two-day military exercise from March 27 has been the most massive exercise of its kind so far conducted in the Persian Gulf region since the launch of the Iraq war five years ago. Apart from the use of more than 100 sorties of bombers and numerous warships, it deployed two nuclear powered carriers, Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, both to pitch in the joint military exercise in the Gulf Region. The military exercise, which was carried out in an open sea area off Iran, has involved more than 10,000 servicemen. The US side claimed its military exercise was not projected to rescue the detained British naval sailors and marines.

Wang: There have been rumors and hearsay everywhere across the region during the intensified US military exercise. Iran has been said to trade the exchange of the Iranians detained by US servicemen in Iraq at the beginning of 2007 for those British navy captives, while other local media reports said Britain has already sent troops to rescue its captives...

Tang Yong: There is a short-term hefty rise in global oil price in the wake of each round of rumors. So it is stil hard for people to figure out the stance of the US government from the just-ended military exercise and hearsay, statements of the While House and the State Department in these days, however, imply the intention of the United States. President Gorge W. Bush had a phone talk with British Prime Minister Tony Blair Wednesday on the issue with regard to the capture of UK Navy servicemen. On the same day, the White House spokesman and deputy State Department spokesperson hinted the position, saying that the United States calls on Iran to set free the detained British sailors and marines unconditionally.

The issue not to hinder the execution of UN Security Council resolution

Wang: The incident occurred just a day prior to the adoption of a new resolution passed by the UN Security Council on sanctions against Iran, and what is the attitude of the U.N. in this regard?

He Hongze (PD resident reporter to UN Headquarters): So far, Ban Ki-Moon, the UN secretary general, has not made any comment yet on issue. The first reason is that he is still visiting the Middle East region, and the media is focusing on the Mideast issue. Secondly, the incident is not so grave and serious that the UN secretary general has to address it personally and it wound not jeopardize the resolution of the UN Security Council on sanctions against Iran. Critics hold that there have been no casualties involved so far and it is still not clarified on which side the responsibilities should rest with. More importantly, there has been no possibility for either the U.S. or Britain to launch attacks by capitalizing on the issue. Furthermore, Iran has also shown flexibility of some extent on the issue.

Active maneuvering by Iraq and Turkey

Wang: Arab countries have basically kept silent with the incident ever since its occurrence, noted media reports from these countries, and most of local media have somewhat reported on the matter of the capture of UK navy servicemen itself.

Wu Wenbin and Yang Jun (both PD resident reporters in Turkey): Only Iraq, as a nation directly involved, has gone in for some diplomatic maneuvering. On Tuesday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in his statement that the British Navy servicemen in custody belong to a multinational force authorized by the U.N. to station in Iraq with the nodding of its government. He then asked the Iranian government to release them and insisted that the British Navy sailors and marines were within the Iraqi waters at the occurrence of the incident. Iraqi Prime Minister Nur al-Maliki said Wednesday during his summon of the British ambassador to Iraq that its country will strive to press ahead with the peaceful resolution of the issue.

Meanwhile, Turkey has also played a crucial role in the diplomatic maneuvering, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that its diplomatic personnel had visited the British sailors and marines in custody.

By People's Daily Online