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Thursday, March 29, 2007
Blair Warns of 'whole Series of Measures' Against Iran
March 29, 2007
AFX News
Orange.com
LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned Iran that there is a "whole series of measures" that could be taken to pressure the Islamic republic to hand over 15 British navy detainees. "What we have to do in a very firm way, is step up the pressure," he told ITV television, as British sought an agreement on a United Nations Security Council statement about the dispute.
"The next step is the UN statement. There's a whole series of measures we can take," he added, giving no further details.
"We are going to have to step up pressure not just with them in the UN and the European Union, but see what further measures are necessary to get them to understand it's not merely wrong but only going to result in further tension so it's sensible to resolve it now.
"I'm not interested in confrontation for its own sake, the most important thing is to get 15 personnel back safe and sound."
"The important thing is we just keep making it very, very clear to the Iranian government it is not a situation that will be relieved by anything but the unconditional release of all our people," Blair said.
"There's no alternative but to release them and the longer it goes on, the more the pressure will be stepped up.
"I think we should take this a day at a time at the moment," Blair added.
The 15 were captured on Friday in the northern Gulf in what Iran insists were its territorial waters, but the UK says they were picked up while on a routine patrol to check cross-border smuggling of vehicles on the Iraqi side.
link to original article
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