British troops seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guard

[mosta]

[ QUOTE ]
The incident occurred mid-morning when a boarding party left HMS Cornwall, the flagship of the multinational task force in the northern Gulf, in two small craft to inspect an Iranian merchant ship.

When the inspection was completed the British were surrounded by six larger vessels from a Revolutionary Guards naval unit.

The Iranian ships are normally armed with heavy mounted machineguns while the British had only side arms to protect themselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely understand why the party in the rafts was not going to try shooting. But after 15 sailors were captured on an Iranian ship, I would expect that ship and any other Iranian vessel to be captured in turn immediately. Maybe it's smarter to let it be settled onshore for various reasons. I don't know. I also have no idea how the various forces are deployed exactly.---But...come on isn't this a war zone? Don't you envision jets scrambling off of carriers?

Is it really better to negotiate and let your men be paraded on TV in blindfolds as hostages, in disgrace (and then get into the game of negotiating with that type), than to put the fear of god in those f-n Iranians on the water right then and there?