Iranian Hostage Crisis, Take Two

Iran Turns Up Volume in Face-Off Over Captured Britons

The confrontation concerning the captured British soldiers in Iran has entered its second week. The fifteen soldiers that are being held in captivity at an undisclosed location in Iran were accused of illegally entering the waters of Iran while being stationed in Iraq. A video of one of the prisoners claiming to be deeply remorseful was released and a third letter from a female prisoner was also circulated. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, entering the final months of his career at the head of the government, has expressed disgust at the treatment of the soldiers and the handling of the situation. He is working hard to achieve the release of the prisoners before his retirement.

The Iranian Hostage Crisis between 1979 and 1981 was a political dispute under President Jimmy Carter. Iranians held fifty-three American hostage and demanded the return of the exiled shah in the U.S. Iranian militants then broadcasted coverage of American symbols being desecrated. Carter made a rescue attempt in 1980, but it was aborted after a failure of helicopters. He put economic and political pressure on the Iranians in order to expedite the coming of the end to the conflict. After 444 days of imprisonment, the hostages were released after Carter supplied the kidnappers with billions of dollars in ransom money. Only after Ronald Reagan took office were all of the captives released.