Iran to Prosecute Detained British Sailors

[Sandpiper]

Boy if this isn't shaping up to be the perfect excuse to extend the "war on terra" to Iran.

Tehran May Prosecute British Crewmen

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By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian state TV showed eight British sailors blindfolded and seated on the ground Tuesday, as Tehran said it would prosecute them for illegally entering Iran's territorial waters.

The British government said the men were on a "routine mission" in the Shatt-al-Arab waterway that separates Iran and Iraq (news - web sites) along their southern border. The Foreign Office summoned Iranian Ambassador Morteza Sarmadi to demand an explanation for the naval officers' arrest.

Also in London, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi to ask for the sailors' release.

The eight were detained Monday as they were delivering a patrol boat for the new Iraqi Riverine Patrol Service.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&ncid=535&e=3&u=/ap/20040622/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_british_boats

[Skidmore]

1. First salvo across the bow in the

war of sovereignty. Should be interesting since some countries are more sovereign than others now.