British Sailors, Marines Back at Home After Seizure at Sea British Sailors and Marines Held Captive

Apr 06, 11:30 AM

Current Headlines: The Associated Press

ROYAL MARINE BASE CHIVENOR, England - With champagne bottles popping, a Royal Navy crew flew home Thursday after nearly two weeks in Iranian captivity to hugs from tearful relatives and relief in a Britain outraged that the crew was used by Tehran for propaganda.

While much of the country rallied behind the crew's return, others criticized them for offering apologies where none was required - namely for appearing in videos in which they admitted and offered regrets for entering Iranian waters. Defense officials sought to quash the criticism.

Prime Minister Tony Blair was somber. He said that while the country celebrated the safe return - and praised the diplomacy that secured their release - the joy was diminished by the killing of four British soldiers in Iraq on Thursday.

"Just as we rejoice at the return of our 15 service personnel, so today we are also grieving and mourning for the loss of our soldiers in Basra, who were killed as the result of a terrorist act," Blair said.

The ministry said officials would examine the circumstances in which some of the 15 sailors and marines appeared in videos on Iranian state television offering regrets for entering Iran's territorial waters, while Britain's government has insisted they were in Iraqi waters. Iran's release of the eight sailors and seven marines had raised hopes among some that Tehran might be open to compromise on other matters, particularly Western demands for a halt to Iran's uranium enrichment program.

However, Iran already was warning it would retaliate if the West pushed too hard, and U.S. officials intensified their criticism of Tehran after restraining their comments during the 13-day standoff over the crew.

Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council, said Washington saw no sign of Iranian willingness to work with other nations on scaling back its nuclear program, which the United States and its allies suspect is aimed at producing atomic weapons.

"What would show that they're more in line with the international community is to comply with the U.N. Security Council resolution" calling for a freeze in the Iranian nuclear program, he said.

The freed crew left Iran in the morning, traveling in business class on a British Airways jetliner with staff from the British Embassy in Tehran. Filing off the plane at London's Heathrow Airport after a 61/2-hour flight, the team members carried blue and orange duffel bags and shopping bags, some apparently holding candy and souvenir gifts from Iranians.

Meanwhile, British Broadcasting Corp. reported that the Iranians kept one of the crew members in solitary confinement. The BBC did not identify the person but said the information came from the family of one of the sailors.

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