"We Were Blindfolded, Bound And Stripped"

Nope, those are not the words of someone just returning from a fun weekend in Vegas. They are the words of one of the 15 sailors that were illegally held hostage for two weeks by Iran.

* We were blindfolded and subjected to interrogation.
* We were told we faced seven years in prison if we did not 'confess'.
* Iranians entered Iraqi waters deliberately to detain us. Fighting back was not an option.
* We were 1.7 nautical miles away from Iranian waters.
* We were under psychological pressure and mind games.
* Faye Turney was isolated in a cell away from the rest of the crew.

Royal Marine Captain Chris Air says,"The Iranians are not our enemies. We are not at war with them. Our rules of engagement at that time stated that we could only use lethal force if we felt that we were in imminent danger of a loss of life. By the time the true intent of the Iranians had become apparent - and we could have legitimately fought back - it was too late for action."

I agree it was too late and in fact there may not have ever been a good time for "action". But I disagree with the first two sentences. Iran is an enemy and we are already fighting them. Their attack on British forces and invasion of Iraqi waters should not go unpunished. Their sponsoship of terrorism and the insurgents in Iraq as well should not be ignored anymore.

Oh did I mention this: Iraq Police: Iranian-Made Bombs Used in Attack that Killed 4 Britons
My thoughts and best wishes go to the sailors and their families this weekend.