Taking the British was a masterstroke. It was a way to hit back at America’s only real ally and put pressure on Blair to bring British troops home. Bush is politcally weakened without a direct approach. The American weakness is political, not military. This makes it more difficult for America to participate or allow Israel to strike Iran. Amazingly, uniformed seamen and a seawoman were called “spies” and taken hostage. Iran just has to hold on to them until Blair bows out of Iraq. All of our self-congradulation for our “restraint” only means that this techinique can be used again and again by Iran without cost. The British should have declared a naval blockade until the seamen and seawoman are released. Real hardball would be for Iran to excute one of the hostages — on the basis that he was the “ringleader of the spies” — while sparing the others out of “Islamic mercy” after they admited their “guilt” and apologize. They will just get long prison sentences. Welcome to the New World. Just wait until Iran can supply Al Queda with nuclear weapons — as long as their fingerprints can be obscured or disputed endlessly in Congressional debates.
