IRAN TO FREE SAILORS
By Mirror.co.uk 04/04/2007
PRESIDENT Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today said he will release the 15 British naval personnel who "trespassed" into Iranian waters.
The group, who were said to "shout for joy" at the news, will be handed to the British Embassy in Tehran and could fly home tomorrow.
The controversial leader maintained his country’s stance that the British sailors and marines had "invaded" Iranian waters, but said that they would be “forgiven” and freed as a "gift" to Britain.
Downing Street insists the 15 were in Iraqi waters under a UN mandate.
A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said: "We welcome what the President has said about the release of our 15 personnel.
"We are now establishing exactly what this means in terms of the method and timing of their release."
Ahmadinejad made the announcement during a news conference marking the Persian New Year.
During the briefing he also awarded medals to the commanders who captured the British personnel in the Gulf and criticised the US-led invasion of Iraq and Israel's war in Lebanon.
Condemning the countries he said were behind "misery" and "destruction" in the world, he said there did not appear to be anyone "to stand up and defend the rights of those oppressed".
Ahmadinejad later went on to further criticise the invasion of Iraq, saying that even though no weapons of mass destruction had been found in the country "occupation forces were contining to stay there and people were still being killed".
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