New Letter From Captive In Iran

[y2krog2000]

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has slammed Iran for releasing a new letter allegedly from a captive British sailor that calls for UK forces to withdraw from Iraq. She said: "We have not seen this letter but we have grave concerns about the circumstances in which it was prepared and issued.

"This blatant attempt to use Leading Seaman Turney for propaganda purposes is outrageous and cruel."

"It is cruel and callous to do this to someone in this position, and to play games like this is a disgrace," Downing Street added.

The letter, purportedly from Leading Seaman Faye Turney, also asks the British Government why it allowed 15 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines currently in custody to stray into Iranian waters.

Analysts immediately doubted the validity of the letter, saying the wording was not likely to have been thought up by the 26-year-old sailor.

The letter coincided with the release of new footage of the sailors and marines being seized by Iranian gunboats in the Gulf.

In the video clips, gunshots are heard and a helicopter is shown hovering above inflatable boats in choppy seas.

Vessels close in on Royal Navy boats then the 15 captured Britons are shown seated in an Iranian gunboat.

The arrest footage was preceded by a senior Iranian officer using maps to explain how the Britons had "crossed into Iranian territory".

But the UK has maintained the crews were in Iraqi waters and were wrongfully seized.

Iranian TV had previously shown video footage of the detainees eating and talking.

That broadcast featured an interview with L/S Turney in which she confessed - probably under duress - that the Britons had been at fault.

New Letter From Captive In Iran - Yahoo! News UK

They should set her free and she can tell the world what she thinks because it looks like the Iranians are making her write what they want, but I always thought the Iraqis and the Iranians hated each other.