When did I defend the actions of the Iranians?

Here’s what I said: it was “excellent news” that the sailors and marines were released. Which, it was.

You, in turn, erupted in a diatribe about it not being excellent news (I guess you wanted them to stay in captivity? I assume not, but still)and that the West no longer had a “spine”.

Further, you keep referring to the hostages as cowards and talking about their hotel conditions and the nuts they were eating.

Yes, the Iranians should never have seized these persons and they should not have held them for 12 minutes, let alone 12 days. And yes, the Iranians violated the Geneva Conventions by parading them before the cameras.

However, I never have justified anything that the Iranians did.

I have said that I am glad that the hostages have been freed and that I understand why they behaved as they did in captivity (where you called them “cowards”).

Indeed, by raising the Geneva Convention you seem to be changing the subject.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZjE5YTU5NDE3M2M1ZGRiNWM4YTQ3MWUzMjQ4MDAwYWE=

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007150662,00.html

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23391544-details/Sailors+touch+down+at+Heathrow+-+with+their+goody+bags/article.do

You thought process is borderline NYT mixed with a sprinkle of European arrogance. You are completely wrong on this issue. I have talked to a number of friends that are serving and have served in the military and they are so outraged in regards the speed of the 15 cowards folding that they would love to know what training these guys and girls go though in regards to capture and detainment procedures. Name rank serial number, I guess is not part of it. This is the best part yet:

Among the gifts given to the captives in Iran were handicrafts, books, pistachio nuts, a Persian sweet called “gaz” and a vase.

Nice.

Even if you are being held captive in a hotel you are still being held captive.

I am not sure what Iran “won” here and, indeed, escalation, including a blockage, might well have worked to the regime’s favor. Instead, what did they get? At this point, very little.

And as far as the hostages are concerned and their TV appearances, I suppose that under duress you would have shown more spine?

This is real life, not the movies. If you were held captive in a foreign country with the very real possibility that you might never see you family again if the the situation went badly, I suspect you would have been willing to read a statement for the cameras.

Am I pleased by the whole thing? No. Am I glad that it seemingly has been resolved with very little overall damage to the sailors and to the international system? Yes, yes I am.

It is unclear to me what you wanted aside from some flexing of muscles that ultimately don’t mean anything and would have possibly made the situation much worse.

Would you prefer that we launched military action to prove that we have a “spine”? That is insane, my friend.