Brits to present maps, photos to show kidnapping was in Iraq

Guardian:

British government officials will release evidence today designed to prove that British marines seized by Iranians last week were patrolling well inside Iraqi waters and should never have been captured.

The evidence will include maps, detailed co-ordinates and photographs of the area. The foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, cutting short a visit to Turkey yesterday, will also make a statement to MPs today, but the detailed briefing will be left to officials.

The plan to put the British case in the public domain will only change if overnight the Iranian government give British diplomats access to the 15 marines and sailors captured by Iranians on Friday after searching a boat in the Gulf, off the coast of Iraq, which they suspected was smuggling cars.

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The officials will release details today of the co-ordinates of an Iranian dhow being used by smugglers and boarded by British marines after it broke down. "There was a boat we inspected," the prime minister's spokesman said.

The marines, operating off HMS Cornwall, were then surrounded and captured by the Iranian navy.

Government officials said photographs would show the dhow was well inside Iraqi waters in the complex Shatt al-Arab waterway. It is understood the British navy returned to photograph the dhow, and have details from a Lynx helicopter.

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If the vessel boarded was Iranian that probably explains why we have heard nothing from its captain on the kidnapping. It is still puzzling why the Brits have waited so long to release the evidence of the location of the kidnapping. Is it possible they were concerned about embarrassing the rogue state that was responsible for seizing their people in Iraqi waters? That appears to be the explanation for the delay. I guess that is diplomacy. Don't upset the buggers with the truth.