[katheryn]

15 Royal Marines and Navy personnel, including one woman, approached a Japanese merchant ship suspected of smuggling second-hand cars into the country without paying tax. Suddenly, their inflatables were surrounded by boats of the Revolutionary Guards and they were overpowered and taken into Iranian national waters.

praying for the familes and the service men of HMS Cornwall

(((((((((((((((HMS Cornwall)))))))))))))))

[Wants2Fly]

Prayers are good.

I just hope this won't get into political discussion, as per the community guidelines:

"Limit your direct discussion of politics and religion, as people usually hold pretty strong opinions about these topics (you can discuss spirituality and religion in the Sanctuary for Spiritual Support)"

[(JD)]

Prayers are good! not sure why Iran wants to dance in this minefield.

[therealme]

((((((((((HMS Cornwall))))))))
our prayers are with those 15 service men, and praying for their safe return

good post, wants.....and my prayers are with those brave people.......

[January]

(((((((( Men & Women of the HMS Cornwall))))))))

Prayers for safety and a speedy return of the 15,

Jan

[(JD)]

Prayers are working...the UN just voted unamimously to increase sanctions on Iran. This has to play into the minds of the Iranian government with regards to the safety of the sailors. Please also remember their shipmates in prayer, that they won't be so mindful of their captive friends that they will act unsafe.

[Wants2Fly]

I really wish that we could avoid political discussion. Even though each of believes that our perspective is without a political dimension, this is not always the case. I have held my words when the topic of Saddem Husain's hanging came up, but I am not going to continue with silence if others refuse to observe the policy of not discussing political topics. I, too, have very strong opinions, and they may not be the same as others who are posting here.

thanks, Wants.............fully agree with you.......xoxoxo pat

[therealme]

wants, i know this post is not ment to offend you or any other member here.
katheryn and i live in cornwall, england. this ship is based only about 30 miles from where we live, and about 90 % of the ships crew are from cornwall.
we never ment this to become a political discussion, we were just trying to show so sort of support for the sailors, shipmates and familys .
i am sorry if this post has upset you in any way, i promise you that was never the intent.
but supporting others is what this site is for, and that is all we were doing. if im wrong for that , again im sorry.
very angry dec

dec, i think it's about the members getting into it with each other.............it isn't about our feeling, or not feeling, support for the British forces. speaking for myself, i feel very strongly about all of this.......i just don't want a fight to break out here in the thread. my prayers are with them. and they won't be out of my thoughts til rescued or returned safely......love, pat

[spiritual_emergency]

<blockquote>
therealme: i am sorry if this post has upset you in any way, i promise you that was never the intent.

I would call your post "reporting". Commenting on the reporting is probably what leads to political discussion. Wants2Fly has expressed my own sentiments well. Meantime, to return this topic to it's original purpose, here is a copy of the original article I found. I find it immensely reassuring to know that this has happened previously and the soldiers involved were released...

<hr width=100% size=2>
<font size=4>Iran "Seizes" 15 British Marines</font>
CNN News

Friday 23 March 2007

London - Fifteen British Royal Marines on patrol in the Persian Gulf have been "seized" by the Iranian navy, the British Ministry of Defense said.

The Marines were "engaged in routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi territorial waters," the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

A U.S. military official who monitors the region told CNN the Marines stopped an Iranian ship suspected of smuggling automobiles, and boarded it for an inspection.

While the Marines were on board, six Navy ships from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard showed up and claimed the British had entered Iranian waters.

A dispute ensued over whether the Marines were in Iraqi, international, or Iranian territorial waters, and the 15 were then seized and taken to Iran, the U.S. military official said.

An Iraqi fisherman told Reuters the incident took place in the Shatt al-Arab waterway that marks the southern stretch of Iraq's border with Iran. His account could not be immediately confirmed.

The British ministry's statement said the Marines "completed a successful inspection of a merchant ship when they and their two boats were surrounded and escorted by Iranian vessels into Iranian territorial waters."

The statement added: "We are urgently pursuing this matter with the Iranian authorities at the highest level and on the instructions of the Foreign Secretary, the Iranian ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office. The British Government is demanding the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment."

There was no immediate word from Tehran on the incident.

The U.S. military official said the British Royal Marines are believed to be unharmed. It was not immediately clear where in Iran they were taken.

In 2004 eight British sailors and Marines were seized - and later released - by Iran after they crossed into Iranian territorial waters aboard three patrol boats by mistake.

Source: truthout.org

[Raynaadi]

I am sure everyones intentions are the best. And the posts were not meant to be political in nature. Let's just make sure they are supportive of the men and don't spill over into the political arena. Obviously there is potential here for this to happen and very strong feelings. I know everyones intent is to be supportive of the situation and not the cause.

Thanks.

[biiv]

im afraid i have to agree that these sorts of posts raise very very strong feelings for me too and i find that its really hard to post them or comment on them without offending people. i already find this thread highly offensive.
that said for the individuals involved and their families i have the greatest sympathy. for the individuals and people directly affected only however because of the human suffering.
i will send positive thoughts they are returned safely and treated well.
biiv

[(JD)]

One of the main parts of the United Nations Mission Statement is for: International Peace and Security. Another part is about Humanitarian Action, and still another for Human Rights. The economic and social development and international law aspects are not the only things it's good for. I count their action as an answer to prayer, because so much of this world is adjusted by peer pressure. The odds of those sailors staying safe are better now, imo. They know the whole world is watching.

I'm sorry if caring about anyone in distress is either distressing or offensive to anyone, that wasn't my intent. My faith is not containable to one forum only, but has been spread throughout the site for years, as it is an integral part of me.

[SeptemberMorn]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
praying for the familes and the service men of HMS Cornwall

(((((((((((((((HMS Cornwall)))))))))))))))

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

AMEN!

[spiritual_emergency]

Sky: I'm sorry if caring about anyone in distress is either distressing or offensive to anyone, that wasn't my intent.

What I found offensive was your statement about the United Nations. You seemed to be implying that this "show of strength" would intimidate Iran, and thus protect those soldiers. I feel you crossed the line not once, but now twice, and as Wants2Fly and fayerody pointed out, others are expected to comply with the community standards so I don't know why you would not hold yourself to that standard as well.

I'll resist the urge to promote my own political beliefs in this response. I merely wished to emphasize that it's been requested by the community and the moderator that support remains just that -- support, not an interjection of what we perceive to be most true about the political situation at play.

I'm sincerely hopeful that history will repeat itself and those soldiers will be released, unharmed, as occurred before.

[bipolar_bear]

I think everyone agrees with the support of the marines and their plight. I would request that we limit our posting to this intent and not let our political views overflow into our postings. I know no one means harm by thier posts but sometimes inadvertantly someone becomes hurt by someones viewpoint. Thanks.

[katheryn]

sorry if i upset anybody with this post, this was not my intention,
again sorry if i offended anybody

my thoughts are with the families and service men of HMS Cornwall

[kimmydawn]

I would like to remind members that posting PM's publicly is against guidelines. Please refrain from doing so. If someone has sent you a PM that you don't care for, place them on ignore. If a PM was abusive/threatening, place them on ignore then notify and mod/admin.

Further, the guideline states that the discussion of politics is to be limited. This thread started out limited with support for people being the primary request and quickly went in a different direction. (Sorry, Katheryn)

If you're a member who doesn't deal with any political discussion at all, please know some threads contain *some* and avoid it for your own experience.

Thanks,

KD

PS-posting that is not limited in this discussion of politics will be removed and the member PM'ed. Posting that is unsupportive to another member will be removed and the member PM'ed.