It used to be that the reason there were Royal Marines on these boats was to protect the Royal Navy (including one female) from capture or coming to harm. But surrender without a shot fired. Times have obviously changed since the glory day's of defending the entire Falkland Islands with just 1 Troop. Today, I hang my head in shame!

ian blaber, Bristol, England

The people of the middle east respect force. They think the west especially the USA / UK are paper tigers. I think we should tell Iran they have 72 hours to return the 15 soldiers to the UK. Otherwise we will begin an air campaign to eliminate their patrol boats, submarines, major oil facilities, and nuclear sites. If they continue to intervene in Iraq, we should escalate the air war to include Iranian ground forces. We should under no circumstances invade Iran.

Derek, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Re: Burridge and Fomes comments. As a Brit I believe this is mainly a UK problem. The UK navy has been sent on a crazy mission in disputed waters without adequate military backup and support. The navy must be an easy target otherwise the Iranians wouldn’t have attempted to seize them. Men shouldn’t be put in harm’s way without cover and protection . The UK has the 4th largest economy in the world and can easily afford the kit. Teddy Roosevelt's foreign policy was to "walk softly and carry a big stick.” Blair is like a cross between Dr. Pangloss and Walter Mitty. He can’t fix the UK health service but believes he can sort out Israel and the Palestinians. My complaint concerns Blair’s willingness to sign up for wars but to try and do it on the cheap. The UK is now a pawn in Iranian US relations and could get sucked into a war its people don’t want because it appears military weak. Wise leaders don't get their countries into those situations.

brian chase, NY, USA

I must add that if and when we do attack it cant be like IRAQ it must be with the plans to reduce the public in iran to nothing or close to it, these people cannot be controled with a democratic goverment, they are to use to have a dictator so leaving alot of them alive would only create unrest like iraq has. altrough iran would be a good place to add to iraq to and the fighting between the sunnis and shites alot of room in iran for both of them.

DENNIS, death ot IRAN, USA

if the roles were reversed, and Iranian ships were illegally entering U.K or U.S. waters, Iran would be getting bombed already. I am a American, I love my country. But why does the western world have this sense of entitlement, that we should be able to do what ever we like, but if anyone in the Eastern world mimics our behavior, we go through the roof. We are hypocrites. I ask again, why are we so entitled? WWII??? That was a LONG time ago.

nathan campbell, eugene, Oregon

Hey, Gerry Shuller - the guy who came back with "peace in our time" was from the same country as Sir Winston Churchill.

Remember him ?

The Marines should have had enough firepower to defend themselves given that this happened before. Anybody awake in the MOD or Navy ? - evidently not - probably nobody left with the lack of funds from the idiots.

Mark Duffin, Stratford Upon Avon/Shanghai, GB/China

Colynn ,
WW 11 ring a bell, Communism and we will win this war as well. Wake up England before it is to late.

Bill, Baltimore, USA, Maryland

So with all the naval forces (surface and air) how did this happen and how were they allowed to return to an Iranian port. Between Brit and US forces someone was asleep at the switch. Hopefully they will be recovered unharmed

Chet, Severna Park, MD/US

churchill got it correct it is better to jaw jaw jaw than to war war war britain has always punched above its weight so diplomacy must be tried before any military action

P Watson, ardrossan, scotland

I think this is Irans's way of continuely defying un laws and regulations...there looking to pick a fight with us...this is very obvious...i feel iran along with there friends venezuella should not be taken lighlty as the liberal views in this country to to look at terror..its just a fictional thing according to them....well guess what liberals of the world its here and we need to deal with..say what you will about bush but the man cares about the well being of this country that is undisputable

mike, sheboygan, wisconsin usa

they are acting like terrorist's taking our men like they. do they think them selves above international law. it needs resolving quickly by what ever means!!!

john, kettering,

What I want to know is why were our Marines left so exposed to be taken as they were.

Where was HMS Cornwall and our aircover when this happened?

News reports give the impression that HMS Cornwall just watched these marines being taken and did not intervene in case they caused a diplomatic incident.

If this is correct our service men have been betrayed and we need to ask the question - if we are not going to defend and support our servicemen when they are in trouble - what the hell are we doing there?

Michael Lynch, Huntingdon, England

No, we wouldnt be sending in Seals because we wouldn't have stood by and allowed our fellow soldiers to be taken in the first place...

Shane, portland, Oregon

I think this is a British-Iranian issue. So, let these two countries resolve it. The area north of the Persian Gulf has been disputed for decades. The border around the Shatt has been agreed to by treaties that were often broken. It would be easy for Brits, and Iranians, to err and stray. The key here is to avoid an escalation and a protracted 'hostage' situation on the Lebanese-Israeli model, and get these young men home safe the only possible way, which is peacefully. As for those who are screaming for immediate war: why aren't you over there in uniform???
Cheers

M Ghuloum, Seattle, USA

Actually Mike from Chicago, yes. A soldier's primary task after capture is to escape and evade.

Ben, York,

Q. What is the first thing they teach a Royal Navy recruit?

A. To raise their hands and surrender.

Andy, Tarpon Springs, Florida

History repeating. It is important that we understand what history has brought us. We must also understand that history is not created in a day, but over time. Just as Iraq and Afghanistan have fallen, so too will Iran and Saudi Arabia. Once they do, we will begin to model the Middle east in the same fashion that we have Europe. Some wars can be fought without bullets (Cold War), while others require a greater sacrifice (WWII). In time, perhaps our children's time, the Middle east will be a productive environment where the people are truely free, free from the religious leaders that control their minds. Yet another step in developing New World Order. A world where governments war at a bargaining table, with accountants and lawyers, not soldiers. A world were governments realize that their greatest resource is their people.... Give it time, we are making history. God bless my brothers in uniform, for it is our sacrifice that lights the tunnel of hope.

MAC, Pittsburgh, Pa

Both the Royal Navy and US Navy should enforce an exclusion zone around its forces lawfully operating in Iraqi and international waters. The Iranians need to be told that any incursion into the exclusion zone would be treated as hostile, and appropriate measures taken.
This is the only thing that the Iranians will likely listen to.
For our marines and sailors to go around performing their duties without full support is intolerable and will only lead to further hostage-taking.

Tom Turpie, Delray Beach, Florida, U.S.

The waterway that the Brits were allegedly to have invaded is a DISPUTED AREA. Therefore, let cooler heads sort this out. Let us hope that our 'cowboy' administration stays cool and does not decide to shoot first and ask questions later.

Ruth, Oakland, CA/USA

"..these sailors/marines were trained for such circumstances .."

Are you saying that they PRACTICE being captured??

Do they practice being RESCUED, too?..

!!!!!!!!

Mike, Chicago,

Everyone knows that Iran is a major exporter of oil, but It's not widely known that they are a major IMPORTER of oil PRODUCTS, like gasoline (petrol),

If the US and UK wanted to take strong military measures, they wouldn't need to hit the oil producing areas of Iran. THey would only need to hit the oil REFINERIES of Iran.

THe Iranian economy is already quite shaky; the sudden dearth of petroleum products could cripple them.

Yes i know that any military action in the Gulf would increase crude oil prices, but the destruction of Iranian domestic ability to refine oil would make them completely dependent on the import of petroleum products. THey'd pay 'though the nose' much than the rest of the world.

Adam HaAretz, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

way to go iran. a lesson for Balir and Bush, if you poke a resting lion too many times you may get what you wish for.
and this was just a preview.

Alex, Montreal, Canada

Once the British sailors are out, we will need to look at the unplatable truth that some from of military intervention is required - be it cruise missile attacks on strategic locations, assasinations by special forces or a full naval blockade.

Ida Kilthatcher, Manchesterford, UK

"Royal Marines do not open fire on anyone purely on their own initiative."

Yeah that's become Abundantly clear.

"..these sailors/marines were trained for such circumstances .."

I like this. How's that then?

Mike, Chicago,

Thank you, Ann Lennard.

To our cousins across the pond: I'd say bring back Maggie Thatcher, but something tells me many of you would rather some phony international organization with 'legitimacy' like the UN handle the 'negotiations' on this one. I'd like to think differently, but I've lost a lot of hope. Regardless, may your troops come home unharmed, and soon, however it has to happen.

Dan, New York, NY, USA

One of the first comments I read after reading this article was that the Brits deserved it, having illegally occupied parts of Iraq was the explaination given.

So,let me ask if the former is wrong---and that's an IF---when do 2 wrongs make a right?

That's a softball for the poster; my second question is this: was it also illegal when the allies began, piece by pieve, bone by bone, occupting nazi dominated Europe?

frank, bristol, usa

I believe this situation could be over quickly or it will be a very serious situation.

George Jordan, Prince Edward Island, Canada

All the blind rage notwithstanding, let me tell you why there will be no military attack on Iran. Several reasons. There would be an inevitable escalation leading to massive shock in the economic markets of the world. Petroleum through the roof. Lights out, stock markets plunge. Reality is that economic elites dominate in the US under Republican administration. Such an event is not in their financial interests, while it was thought that war in Iraq would benefit them. See Haliburton, Blackwater, etc. The US is currently involved in two quagmires with no end in sight. To compound this situation massively by attacking Iran is not militarily feasible, profitable, or politically possible. My advice: do not stray into Iranian territorial waters and stop their ships. Wise policy must trump blind emotionialism this time. Or else.

John, Seattle, USA

In response and with all due respect to Brian Chase of NY. For all the USA's aircraft carriers, warplanes, high-tech armaments they have been and are still are unable to sort out Vietnam, Cuba, Korea, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan to name but a few. I am grateful for US efforts to keep me walking free down the street without literally dodging bullets or being arrested for my points of view. Do not judge Britain too hashly. I am also grateful to the UK for keeping me and millions upon millions of others free. Brian, if you wish to impress history upon us, don't go tell it to Blair or the marines, go tell it to the US Sate Dept and to the present Bush administration for the present mess in the middle east. Oh, can you give Britain a few hundred billions dollars loan for four or five aircraft carriers?
We pray for the release of the British sailors who were doing what they were ordered to do.

Peter Burridge, Merritt Island, USA/Florida

Maybe i am missing something here, why can t the west give Iran a 48 hours ultimatum. If the sailors are not returned, Iran would be attacked be aerial force and destroyed. Once and for all, this menacing dark regime would be dealt with for all to see and fear. It would also go a long way towards restoring stabilty in this region.

Allen, Manhasset,

I am saddened on a number of counts. Firstly that the Royal Marines have been captured in this way - although not the first time, but secondly and more importantly that they were even put into this position. However, we are where we are, and non-aggressive bargaining is the only way to resolve this matter in the captives interests. I agree with Brian Chase in that Great Britain is a small military power which does not have the strength to act in this theatre un-assisted. However, I dis-agree with Brian in that if we remember back to 9/11, it was the Brits who held out a hand to help you back on your feet as well as support your subsequent military actions. We can't punch hard anymore but we do have a wealth of military experience to offer. Admittedly we appear to have got ourselves into a bit of a sad situation with our marines, but it beats leaving you to fight the world on your own. We could have just turned our backs on you.

Chris Fomes, Taunton, United Kingdom

Very nice time when Sir Laurence was in that zone!

Leonardo Parma, Quartu S.Elena, Italy

You have to ask what the British are doing in the Gulf. The country no longer has the military capability to carry out dangerous overseas missions without the support of the US. To keep the Americans happy, it sends small token forces that can't properly defend themselves. You end up with the worst of all possible worlds. In Victoria's day the UK would send the metaphorical gunboat, but due to military cutbacks, that's no longer possible. Britain decided sometime after Suez that it no longer had great power pretensions. Then came Blair, whose foreign policy seems at best confused. If Britain is to become a lite version of the US, it needs to look more threatening and spend money on things like carriers. Otherwise it should stick close to home and not try and play superpower politics on the cheap - you just look ridiculous.

brian chase, NY, USA

I completely agree with Mr. Fullerton. How could the Cornwall's CO allow these underarmed troops into harm's way without massive reinforcement close by or sufficient self-contained armament to ward off such an ambush? There should be some careers terminated in the UK as a result of this embarrassment. Gone are the glory days of the Royal Navy!

Gus, Atlanta, GA/USA

you all are worried about iran..you should be worried about china and the future.

Peace, london,

The capture of the sailors and marines demonstrates not only utter incompetence by the British senior and local commanders but also a incredible degree of complacency. This incident happened before two years ago when two of our patrol boats were captured with their marines and sailors in exactly the same circumstances. We were the laughing stock of the region and our US allies then and we're the laughing stock of them now. Heads should roll for this, starting with the commander of HMS Cornwall. We should have been prepared for excactly this event, given the poor relations with Iran and the fact that the Americans have, quite rightly, been kidnapping Iranian terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere. I despair in my country sometimes. I am a former British Army infantry officer and if I had been commanding those boats I'd have sooner died than surrendered. This is a disgrace.
Richard Fullerton, London, UK.

Richard Fullerton, London, UK

Remember the Falklands,Bring back Maggie.

BW, San Francisco, Ca USA

I worked in Iran for the last two years, the people are well educated and cultured. They are not happy with their government but cannot go through another revolution. It is not a democracy it is rather like Romania under Ceaucescu. I sometimes feel I am the only person who appreciates the US. They contribute billions of dollars to some of the countries who are most critical of them. I have seen drainage schemes in Yemen paid for by the US but terrorists are trained in that country. If I was American I would be outraged that my taxes were being spent on countries who are activly trying to kill my countrymen.

Ann Lennard, Tripoli, Libya

What were these Brits doing in the Iranian’s waters on the first place. There is assumption that the enemy wouldn’t do anything no matter how much Brits and Americans are intrusive in the others’ matters. Stop moaning, these sailors/marines were trained for such circumstances and if they chose to surrender then their fate should be decided according to the War/International laws.

However do wish honestly that sense prevails over hawkism with Iranian authorities and these kids come back without any harm from Iran.

Gulfam Zahoor, Lahore, Pakistan

Amazing. Those servicemen were snatched as bargaining chips for the high level military Iranians who defected last week/month....

Ed, Fallbrook, CA/USA

The liberal, snobbish ,over diplomatic attitude of the majority in Europe is........right. Until it fails. Then they all look for help from the Americans. America is damned it does , damned it doesn't. Someday, America might not be there. What then? What is Europe going to do when radical islam try's to take over the continent. Don't worry guys, Americans will help. That's what this country does. Go ahead , bad mouth America. Sometimes its well deserved. But at the end of the day, you all need us. Blair is a genius.

Jason, fairfax, VA

But the UK is not at war with Iran, Ted. Royal Marines do not open fire on anyone purely on their own initiative.

Tony, Christchurch, UK

I hate to say it, but Collin is right. The only war that America can fight to win is one that has the blessing of the left wing liberal press. As usual, we fight ever increasing politically correct wars, and again and again prove to our enemies that the press will exploit ever instance of blood and gore, to do everything in their power to make sure they portray America as the evil empire, which must be saved by the molly coddling Democrats, who have proven time and again that THEY know how the world works ie: give the enemy what they want, and hope they go away. May when the jihadists come for the journalists, they may really portray the evil that is radical Islam. But then again, I have no doubt that the Democrats, and the media ( the democrats lap dogs), that it is REALLY somebody elses fault, as they will tell you every day, they don`t make mistakes.

Daryl, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

In my opinion, the captain of the Cornwall did exactly the right thing. The odds of the Marines coming to any harm are very slim. Situations like this have happened in the past (e.g. the Pueblo incident) and will likely happen again. These incidents typically end with diplomatic sparring, some fake apologies from the soldiers and their country, and repatriation of the men. The captain should be commended for keeping his head and taking the only rational course of action. It was bad enough waking up to see this news. It would have been far worse to wake up and find that a shooting war with Iran had broken out due to the rash actions of a few people.

Robert Lee, Gainesville, FL, USA

I find it incredible that a Royal Navy Captain would just sit there and watch while his men were carted off into hostile territory. Furthermore, this is not the first time the Iranians have done this to Royal Navy personnel.

Apparently, the Iranians did not learn their lesson the first time around. I trust that HMG has the wherewithal to see to it that the Iranians are taught the proper lesson this time.

Eric Laimins, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I guess that Mr. Burrell needs to be reminded about recent military history.
In the Gulf War, how long did it take to the U.S. Army to crush the 4th biggest army in world after a month of air attacks - a week? five days? Unfortunately, the U.N. mandate did not allow us to finish with Saddam Hussein by then, but just to liberate Kwait.
And in 2003, how long did it take to get to Bagdad - three weeks? That's what he calls a cease fire for over half a centuary"?
We are not fighting a conventional army in the streets of Bagdad, but an enemy uses children as shields. How can someone win a war like that?
Oh yes, I almost forgot: who won the Cold War - without a single shot?

Alberto Nascimento, Heathrow, Florida, USA

Ted is absolutely right. Europe is a spoiled child who has been babysat under an American umbrella of security for 50 years. While America was forced to defeat communism on its own, it is now obvious that it will be taking on Islamic fascism on its own ... :(

Matt, Atlanta, GA

"todays brits would have surrendered to hitler"!!! What did you expect our troops to do, gun down the iranians? If that had happened we'd be in a war now, the british like to think before they shoot. I have a genuine fondness for americans but that is one thing your army could learn.

tom, Buckingham, Britain

The British military just don't have it together. These men never should have been captured in the first place. The British military are simply under-manned and under-equipped.
They need to get it together in Downing Street and fully support the troops at all levels.

Ron Shelley, New York, New York

I think it is clear that the Brtish gov and Military has better know how and sense than there American partners.

i am sure that if the soldiers in question where U.S military then the U.S would be sending in SEALS and such like as we speak. A situation like this needs thinking through and i hope thats what the U.K gov does for all our sakes.

And as for U.K military op's i think history speaks for itself.

Capt. M. Trevillion Royal Canadian Military Intelligence.

Capt. M. Trevillion, Kabul, Afghanistan

(yeah i was talkin to ted , too)

Mike, Chicago,

We need Churchill ? The Iranians are dangerous, if Maggie Thatcher were here they would not have pulled that stunt. Send in the SAS and if they want a fight give them a fight. If the SAS are to overworked send in the PARAS. The Iranian Government are Mental cases, let's call a spade a spade and stop making excuses for there agression.. These guys are Nuts.

JERRY MCCULLOUGH, St.Catharines, Ontario, Canada, CANADA

Tell me, from what country was the fellow who proclaimed "peace in our time" after signing an agreement with Herr Hitler?

Gerry Shuller, Los Angeles,

how long are we going to listen to the mouth piece and the grand Ayatollah blustering we need to act now to prevent the spread of this hatred of civil people by the radicals

neil, new smyrna bch, fl usa

colynn burrell,

I will agree with most of what you said about our lost wars; we try to be too politically correct when we fight wars now adays. If we are not going to finish something we start, we had just as well not start anything. We think we can have a war and not kill anyone; and when we see blood on the TV news every night, people start saying "this has got to stop."

I will say , however, the wars in Irag and Afganistan are not over yet. Hopefully we will have the will and the guts to see them through to the a successful end.

A.J. Collins, Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA

I guess the next few days will tell us if the British response is similar to the US response when the Chinese detained 24 US navy crew onboard their downed spy plane in April 2001.

In hindsight I believe we can all review the US response back then as somewhat pathetic!!

Steve Coterill, Harrisburg, PA

The Iranians would just be thrilled to see their actions cause the Americans and Brits to turn on each other instead of Iran. Nice going, guys.

Cherice, Santa Rosa, Ca, USA

Ted - You mean unlike Jimmy Carter's government, which spent 444 days negotiating to free the Tehran embassy hostages? Or unlike Clinton, who negotiated the release of soldiers captured by Serbia on the Kosovan border? If all a government has to do to be labled 'pathetic' is to attempt to negotiate the release of hostages then practically every government which has ever dealt with this kind of crisis is 'pathetic'.

Maybe you think we should react like Israel, whose response to hostage taking was seemingly directionless thrusts into Gaza and Lebanon which seemingly acheived nothing except inflicting even more misery on those unfortunate enough to be in the way of Israel's tanks?

Whilst we're on the subject of surrendering to Hitler, why don't you tell us which countries stood up for European freedom in 1939, and which country's government decided that opposing naked aggression was none of it's business? Why is it that some Americans feel free to label Europeans 'appeasers'?

Gilman Grundy, Shenzhen, P.R. China

Dave,
That is a serious post? We all see what you got America. A good solid trouncing just about every where you send your military.

colynn burrell, Shenzhen, China

That's a bit harsh.

Mike, Chicago,

Ted,
You would know all about that as an American. The US surrendered it's military credibility to Hanoi. Turned tail and ran from Korea. Didn't finish that one. It's been a cease fire for over half a centuary. Ran out of Lebanon. Got kicked out of Somalia. Are getting creamed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stick to fighting Mexicans Ted. You might look a little better.

colynn burrell, Shenzhen, China

Lets see what you got Brits. My guess is you send them highly enriched uranium and the know how to build a bomb.

Dave, Petal, USA / MS

How pathetic. Today's Brits would have surrendered to Hitler.

Ted, Berkeley, USA/California