The Collegian

Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Collegian

Iran commited an act of war.
The taking prisoner of 15 members of the British military last month was a major success for Iran thanks to remarkable blunders by Britian.
This incident finally shows the weakness of Western Europe and the EU to fight, even in their own defense. Iran crossed an international border, kidnapped, and exploited those soldiers with no negative repercussions.
The actions of the British at every turn have been embarrassing and cowardly.
The 15 Royal marines and sailors surrendered without even a shot being fired. Their destroyer, while equipped with helicopters and a range of advanced weapons sat idle. Then the captured 15 allowed themselves to be pawns in Iran's media battle. Several, on camera, cheerfully confessed, and apologized to Iran. The footage of their captivity could easily be confused for an infomercial for a resort club.
Their smiling faces playing games gave Iran credibility in the Arab world for being generous to these self-confessed criminals.
The only bright spot was when three or four of the captives did not to wave and smile to the cameras. When they returned to Britain, they whined about the psychological pressure, one example of this was how one sailor was nicknamed "Mr. Bean" by his captors.
There were even complaints about having an iPod taken by the Iranians. Oh the inhumanity!
Compare their performance to men like John McCain who spent years in horrible captivity and was subject to very real physical torture. What these 15 went through was comparatively nothing, but they still betrayed their country.
Even as they were leaving Iran, their captors gave them goodie bags of Islamic literature to remember their time in Iran.
Several of the captured were even allowed to sell their stories to the press, while other true military heroes are not allowed to.
Because of this reaction by Britain, Iran and the whole world know that the EU lacks credibility and will not act when attacked. Even Britain, the strongest and most proud of the European powers, now has the military credibility of France.
There have even been rumors that captured Iranian spies in Iraq were returned in exchange for the 15.
Instead of punishing Iran for the kidnapping, they are getting off with no penalty and maybe even gaining power in the Arab world.
Europe has been shamed and Iran has only been encouraged to act out more.

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