Update #6 Thursday, April 05, 2007 - Day Fourteen: 15 British Sailors and Marines Captured by Iran

All 15 Captives
HOME AT LAST
This Crisis is now Over

...

The 10 Downing Street website has this report that starts off like this... The 15 sailors and marines held by Iran for almost two weeks landed at Heathrow Airport around lunchtime. Mr. Blair welcomed their return but reflected on the news that four British soldiers were killed this morning in Iraq. He paid tribute to their bravery...
Read more at link below...
Freed Navy crew returns to UK

(10 Downing Street Photo)...

...

The SKY News website is on top of this story today. Here’s just a little bit of what they are reporting... BA flight 6634 touched down at London's Heathrow airport just after midday... Sky News correspondent Ian Woods, who was on board, said there was "the sound of applause coming from the front" as it landed...
Read more at link below...
Over Here And Overjoyed...

...

>>> Watch the homecoming HERE on Sky News Online...

...

The MOD has for the first time confirmed the names
of the 15 personnel involved
They are:
Captain Christopher Air RM
Lieutenant Felix Carman RN
Chief Petty Officer Gavin Cavendish
Acting Sergeant Dean Harris
Leading Seaman Christopher Coe
Acting Leading Seaman Faye Turney
Lance Corporal Mark Banks
Marine Paul Barton
Able Seaman Andrew Henderson
Marine Adam Sperry
Marine Joe Tindell
Marine Daniel Masterton
Able Seaman Simon Massey
Able Seaman Arthur Batchelor
Able Seaman Nathan Summers

Read more from the MOD website HERE...

Video - Families watch return of RN sailors

...

The BBC NEWS website has this story... Relatives and friends of the Royal Navy crew captured by Iran have spoken of their relief and joy at the announcement of their release...
Read this story in full HERE...

*******************

* Post END *

Update #5 Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - Day Thirteen: 15 British Sailors and Marines Captured by Iran

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Releases All 15 Captured British

Sailors and Marines

IRNA Photo

All the MSM news outlets are reporting this morning the wonderful news of the upcoming release of all the 15 British captives...

Alalam.ir website has this repot that starts off like this... Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Wednesday that his government would release the detained 15 soldiers on the Prophet Muhammad's birthday (PBUH) as a gift to the British people... He pardoned the sailors and announced their release minutes after he gave medals of honor to the Iranian coast guards who intercepted the sailors and marines, saying Iran will never accept trespassing of its territorial waters... The amnesty was granted on the auspicious occasion of birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Christian Easter festivity...
Read this report in full HERE

SMH.com.au has this take on the story that goes in part like this... "While insisting on our rights, these 15 sailors have been pardoned and we offer their freedom to the British people," Mr. Ahmadinejad said at a news conference in Tehran... "After the news conference they can go to the airport and go back home," Mr. Ahmadinejad said... An official said later that the crew would be released to the British embassy in Tehran...
Read the story in full HERE

IRNA.ir website has this report that goes in part like this... UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday in a phone call thanked IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for pardoning 15 British naval troopers arrested for illegal entry to Iranian waters... President Ahmadinejad, too, congratulated the UN Sec Gen for his appointment at the post, pointing out that there are serious challenges at the international scene currently with which the nations are entangled... Ban Ki-moon thanks Ahmadinejad for marines' release...
Read the rest at link below...
Ban Ki-moon thanks Ahmadinejad for marines' release

FOXNEWS.com has this report this evening that starts off like this... British officials late Wednesday night said they expected Iran to make good on its promise to release 15 British sailors and marines, and hoped their journey back to London would begin "within hours." The British Foreign Office, meanwhile, confirmed that its ambassador to Iran had visited with the military personnel and reported that they were in good health...
Read the rest at link below...
British Expect Iran to Begin Release of 15 Captive Sailors, Marines 'Within Hours'

* Post End *