The British Sailors

This story was on my streaming headlines this morning. I haven't seen any other coverage yet.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would free the 15 detained British sailors and marines Wednesday as an Easter holiday "gift" to the British people.

He said the captives, who were seized while on patrol in the northern Persian Gulf on March 23, would be taken to the airport following his news conference, but Iranian state television reported they would leave Iran on Thursday. An Iranian official in London said they would be handed over to British diplomats in Tehran.

Try this on for size: The Iranians have played this very shrewdly, giving the US a black eye on the human rights front. Come to think of it, making the US look pretty stupid, if you consider not only the way we've been treating prisoners, but the rhetoric that's been coming ouit of Washington. They are also saying, "Think about what we could do, but are not."

The strongest conclusion, I think, is to make a liar out of Bush's press office (yeah, and this is news exactly how?) and to point up that we, not they, are the destabilizing influence in the region.

It seems to me that a logical response would be to take advantage of this and tell the Iranians to put their money where their mouth is -- let's talk. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has painted itself into a corner on that score.

(Interesting note: Syria is also claiming involvement in obtaining the release of the British sailors. Another bid to sit down and talk?)