THERE WAS relief in Britain yesterday as 15 sailors and marines abducted by Iran and held for 12 days arrived home. Their abrupt release on Wednesday defused a slowly mounting international crisis -- but not before Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had taken the opportunity to parade the service members once more before television cameras, accept their humiliating thanks and unjustified apologies, and reap the resulting propaganda benefits at home and abroad....
End of a Standoff
THERE WAS relief in Britain yesterday as 15 sailors and marines abducted by Iran and held for 12 days arrived home. Their abrupt release on Wednesday defused a slowly mounting international crisis -- but not before Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had taken the opportunity to parade the service members once more before television cameras, accept their humiliating thanks and unjustified apologies, and reap the resulting propaganda benefits at home and abroad....