Iranian Cleric: British embassy staff to be tried

[Akoto]

Source: Associated Press

A top Iranian cleric said Friday that some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial, and he accused Britain of a role in instigating widespread protests that erupted over the country's disputed presidential election.

The announcement by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati alarmed European nations and fueled calls for tougher action against Tehran. Britan is pressing for members of the European Union to pull their ambassadors out of Tehran to protest the arrest of its embassy staffers last week - a step that the EU so far has hesitated to take.

After Jannati's comments, French President Nicolah Sarkozy on Friday expressed backing for Britain, saying "our solidarity with our English friends is total." He said France backs sanctions "so that Iranian leaders will really understand that the path that they have chosen will be a dead end."

The United States and Europe have been wary of reacting too harshly in Iran's post-election crisis, even as the government cracked down heavily on protests that erupted following the declaration of a landslide victory for incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 presidential election. The West has been hoping to keep open prospects for future dialogue with Tehran - particularly over its controversial nuclear program.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_ELECTION...

[nyy1998]

1. If Iran wants to isolate themselves

Ten fine, when no one is buying their oils and other export, we'll see how smug these assholes are.

[ohio2007]

2. Will they televise the witchhunt trials or will they be hanged behind closed doors like the others

guilty of crimes against the theocracy?


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/01/iran-protes...

[janx]

3. It appears they WANT to involve Britain in all of this.

Or at least they want to make people think that Britain is somehow involved. It's disgusting.

[ohio2007]

4. They are playing that Shat El Arab waterway link

where they got the Brits to publicly apologize in order to free "The Red Coat" invaders.

The mullahs poll #'s went through the roof.... according to official news sources of course

[mackerel]

5. The Iranians hate the British even more than Americans.

[mamaleah]

6. Well this has stupid written all over it.

Let's detain some British! Yeah that's a great idea!