British officer defends sailors' conduct
Ap, London
Britain's top naval officer yesterday defended the conduct of 15 sailors and marines seized by Iranian forces after boarding and inspecting a merchant vessel in the Persian Gulf. Defence officials say none will be punished. Such boarding operations have been suspended until a review of the operation has been completed, said Admiral Jonathon Band, head of the Royal Navy. He told the British Broadcasting Corp. he believed the crew behaved with "considerable dignity and a lot of courage" during their 13 days in Iranian captivity. He also said the so-called confessions made by some of them and broadcast on Iranian state television appeared to have been made under "a certain amount of psychological pressure." "I would not agree at all that it was not our finest hour. I think our people have reacted extremely well in some very difficult circumstances," he said.
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