Notice we haven't heard a peep out of motormouth Ahmedinejad about this Iran border incident? Read on another thread that Iran is on its lengthy New Years holiday (March 21 - April 3), and nothing will happen until the big shots come back to work. Meanwhile...
Some Iranians favor Brit woman's release
dailybulletin.com
The Associated Press
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Article Launched:
TEHRAN, Iran - Faye Turney's plight has touched Iranians, too: On the streets of Tehran on Thursday, several people said they thought their government should have kept its word and freed the British sailor.
Others interviewed here said they were annoyed by Britain's alleged intrusion into Iranian waters and felt their country was within its rights to seize the 15 British sailors and marines.
Even then, several said they hoped the standoff would end soon.
And some said pointedly they disliked the fact that Iranian officials had first promised to release Turney, the only woman among the 15, then backtracked as the standoff grew.
"It would not have been right (for Iran) to act indifferently about someone violating its borders, no matter if it was Britons or others who did it," said Ahmad Tabrizi, a cell phone trader.
"But it was also not fair that officials changed their word," he said. "The girl should be released."
Iran is in the middle of its Persian New Year holiday, a time when many business and government offices shut down and newspapers close. Many people go on long holidays or visit relatives.
But Iranian state television has repeatedly broadcast pictures of Turney, and many Iranians have been following the events.
Neda Kermanian, 23, an industrial design student, said the British sailors and marines "should be tried for their violation. ... But Iran should have remained honest about its promise of releasing the female sailor. I hope the case will not escalate."
Iranian public opinion can be hard to gauge because there are few independent polls.
People often feel free to discuss social and political issues among friends, and Iran has an active blogging community. But most people are less willing to express outright dissent.
However, there has been some popular discontent with the current regime, including anger at the president's confrontational rhetoric and worry that U.N. sanctions over Iran's nuclear program could hit average people's pocketbooks.
There also is a tradition of admiration for the United States and other Western societies among young people here - despite the long break in the two countries' relations.
In one notable case, hundreds of young Iranians held a series of candlelight vigils in Tehran after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Some of those who attended were roughed up by hard-liners.
However, many Iranians still harbor resentment over Western domination of their country, first by the British and later by the Americans, who engineered a coup against a democratically elected government in 1953.
Most Iranians are too young to remember that era. But the government often cites those days to bolster the Islamic rule that began during the 1979 revolution.
And hard-line opinions are easy to find in Tehran.
"Finally, Iranian forces dealt a master stroke to the Westerners," said one young building contractor, Mohammad Abdollahi.
He lamented, however, that the Britons seized last week were "simple soldiers and not equal to our diplomats who were detained by Americans in Iraq" - a reference to several Iranians detained by the U.S. military.
Despite his pride at the Britons' capture, Abdollahi added: "I do hope this case can be settled as soon as possible."
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