Nathan Thomas Summers "Confesses"

As promised, Iran's official TV station Al-Alam broadcast a "confession" from one of the 15 British captives, Nathan Thomas Summers.

As a bonus, the Iranian embassy in London released a third letter from Faye Turney, addressed to the British people.


She sat next to another serviceman and Summers when he "apologized" for illegally entering Iranian waters.

TEHRAN, Iran -- One of the 15 British service members held captive in Iran appeared Friday on state television and said he apologized "deeply" for entering Iranian waters, and the country released a third letter supposedly from the one woman in the crew saying she has been "sacrificed" by Britain.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose government has insisted that its navy personnel were captured in Iraqi waters, immediately condemned Iran's treatment of the captives, saying it "doesn't fool anyone."

In the video Friday, Royal Marine rifleman Nathan Thomas Summers was shown sitting with another male serviceman and the female British sailor Faye Turney against a pink floral curtain. Both men wore camouflage fatigues with a label saying "Royal Navy" on their chests and a small British flag stitched to their left sleeves. Turney wore a blue jumpsuit and a black headscarf.

A floral curtain -- nice touch, very comfy and friendly.

It's as if they were sitting in Beaver Cleaver's kitchen and Mrs. Cleaver was about to come into the frame and offer the captives a glass of milk.

"We trespassed without permission," Summers said, adding he knew that Iran had seized British military personnel who strayed into their waters three years ago.

"This happened back in 2004 and our government said that it wouldn't happen again," Summers said. "And, again, I deeply apologize for entering your waters."

It was not known whether the marine spoke under pressure from his captors, but Summers said in the broadcast "our treatment has been very friendly."

That's a fair statement from AP, although it slants in support of Iran.

Technically, it's not known whether Summers was pressured into delivering his remarks; but of course he did talk about the friendly treatment he's getting.

I don't see the point in that being included in the article. It shows a bias, an attempt to give Iran the benefit of the doubt.

Such leeway was lacking when AP and lib media outlets reported on Gitmo.

Why not say, "It was not known whether the marine spoke under pressure from his captors, but it seemed like a scripted load of crap"?

According to Al Jazeera, the broadcast was an "interview," not a violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Iranian television has broadcast an interview with a captured British marine in which he admitted to entering Iranian waters illegally and apologised to the Iranian people.

The Arabic-language Al-Alam television channel showed an interview with the marine on Friday in which he said: "I deeply apologise for entering your waters."

Footage of three of the 15 captured British navy personnel was shown by Al-Alam.

"The treatment has been very friendly," the marine - identified as Nathan Thomas Summers - said on the state-run channel.

...The interview was broadcast as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, demanded an apology by the British government, the Fars news agency said.

The Islamic Republican News Agency, Ahmadinejad's puppet, covers it this way:

Another UK arrested royal marine N. Thomas Summers on Friday admitted that the 15 British sailors had trespassed on Iran's territorial waters on March 23 and extended his apology to the Iranian nation for the issue.

Speaking to reporters, the royal marine said, "We illegally trespassed on Iran's territorial waters and were arrested by the Iranian border guards and I would like to apologize the Iranian people for the issue."
He said the Iranian forces captured the sailors and marines in a friendly manner and treated them well.

Referring to repeated illegal entry into Iranian territorial waters by the UK troopers and to the official commitment of British officials in the year 2004 on non-repetition of such violations, he apologized for illegal entry of the UK forces in the year 2004 too.

"Since we were arrested on March 23, 2007, everything has been OK and I am quite satisfied with the current conditions. Over the past days, Iranian forces have shown us a very friendly and good behavior and no ill treatment has been observed," said the sailor.

Another UK service person Fay Turney had already on Thursday expressed regret for illegal entry into Iranian territorial waters and described the Iranian border guards as very humane and good.

...The British media and officials have launched a wave of propaganda campaign against Iran immediately after capture of the British sailors and marines.

Regardless of the GPS surveys, monitored by Iran and offered to the British government, the British media insist that the British navy has not violated Iranian waters.

I expect such propaganda from Al Jazeera and IRNA.

I also expect propaganda from Left-biased outlets like AP.

Note to Ahmadinejad and propaganda promulgators:

As Tony Blair said, IT DOESN'T FOOL ANYONE.