Lessons learned: Iran's release of British prisoners
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 'pardoned' the 15 sailors and marines Wednesday as an Easter 'gift.'
from the April 5, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
But other analysts were more critical of the resolution.
"[The Iranians] have pulled off a significant propaganda coup," says Major (ret.) Charles Heyman, a British defense expert. "There's a subtext to this – that we [the Iranians] are the innocent party, and we are behaving as rational and decent people. What they're really saying is, 'We're a joined up member of the international community whether you like it or not.' It's very difficult for us to respond to it other than by saying thank you – very difficult."
Ahmadinejad's announcement came after Iran's state media reported that an Iranian envoy would be allowed to meet five Iranians detained by US forces in northern Iraq. Another Iranian diplomat, separately seized two months ago by uniformed gunmen in Iraq, was released and returned Tuesday to Tehran. But Ahmadinejad said there was no connection to the release of the Britons.
"If we had wanted to exchange Jalal Sharafi with the rest [the Britons] we would have exchanged him for 100,000 [people]. But we pardoned them," he said, adding the decision was "based on humanitarian considerations."
After his announcement, crude oil prices slipped. Oil futures had surged 7 percent, to above $64 a barrel, since the sailors were taken hostage on March 23.
Ahmadinejad said the British government had sent a letter to the Iranian Foreign Ministry pledging that entering Iranian waters "will not happen again."
In his press conference, Ahmadinejad said, "On the occasion of the birthday of the great prophet [Muhammad] ... and for the occasion of the passing of Christ, I say the Islamic Republic government and the Iranian people – with all powers and legal right to put the soldiers on trial – forgave those 15," he said, referring to the Muslim prophet's birthday on March 30 and the Easter holiday. "This pardon is a gift to the British people," he said.
The family of British Royal Marine Adam Sperry hailed the announcement as "the best present imaginable".
"The one thing I wanted was Adam's safe return to his family for Easter," Mr. Sperry's uncle, Ray Cooper, told the Associated Press. "Whoever has been in the right or wrong, the whole thing has been a political mess, so let's just get them home. It's great."
• Christa Case contributed reporting from Boston. Material from wire services was also used in this report.
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