So I, along with most of the local, regional, national, and global news agencies around the world, reported a few days ago that Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf effectively kidnapped, at the point of a set of very large-caliber firearms, a group of 15 British sailors and marines.  Unfortunately, Iran has yet to return these individuals to the British, and, in fact, are considering bringing them up on charges of espionage - something that completely violates the Geneva Convention, which, oddly enough, the Iranians did sign. 

But it gets better - as it always does.  Consider this news article from the World Tribune, and, more specifically, the second paragraph of said article: 

Iranian sources said the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] abducted British sailors in Shatt Al Arab on March 23...

Well, ok, that much those of us who have the faintest of clues about Iran already figured out...  The probability of the British sailors actually being within Iranian waters is remarkably small - they are far from being untrained doofi (plural of "doofus"), and the chances of the British actually intentionally poking Iran just to get a rise out of them is effectively non-existant, especially considering how anti-war in general they are recently.  But wait...  It gets even better-better, as the article continues on to expound upon the "rationale" for these illegal kidnappings: 

... to retaliate for the defection of senior Iranian officials and officers.  They said the IRGC has blamed Britain and the United States for the defections of senior members of the Quds Brigade. 

*blink*  Come again?  Let me get this straight, just for the record.  The Iranians had some of their own people, of their own free will, defect over to the Americans and/or British (no doubt for any number of a host of reasons a rational person would choose to do so).  Due to this decision on the part of those officials... 

... [the] IRGC planned to abduct British and U.S. military officers in Iraq.  At that point, the IRGC would offer the return of the coalition officers for the Iranian defectors or detainees.

 So not only do the Iranians blame the United States / Britain for the actions of their own people (I guess the concept of personal responsibility is not a strong one in the Islamic religion, which seems somewhat strange, considering the remarkably drastic and excessive viewpoint it takes on criminal punishment), but they were willing to commit an act of war just to get those people back?  And they honestly believed that this (a) would actually work, and (2) made sense? 

Just remember, everyone, the militant Islamics out there, in fact, do not hate us, and would very much like to sit down and have a nice little chat with us about the differences we have in religion and culture, and try and find some way to meet on common ground, with efforts towards a more peaceful resolution of those differences, for the betterment of all.  Of course, in their viewpoint, suiciding while killing those of you foolish enough to actually sit down with them is in their betterment, but that is neither here nor there. 

I honestly cannot wrap my head around this degree of idiocy.  My brain simply cannot make the necessary logical jumps to come to the conclusion that (1) the Iranians who defected/deserted from the IRGC were somehow forced to do so by the Americans/British, (b) that those defections were therefor somehow the fault of the Americans/British, and (III) that kidnapping British sailors and soldiers to hold as a trade for those defectors would, somehow, improve the situation.  That kind of "logic" distinctly represents a remarkable break with reality - which, in the end, is only a continuance of the theme constantly emanating from Iran. 

As I said in the title, I am not at all surprised that the Iranians were the agressors in this situation, nor that they were actually planning it out some time in advance.  What does amaze me is that they honestly believed, from all outward appearances, that this course of decision would actually help.  If people's lives did not hang in the balance, I would almost consider this situation laughably absurd.  For the sake of those 15 soldiers and sailors, I honestly hope someone in the Iranian government, or IRGC chain of command, comes to their senses (preferrably by means of repeated and forceful application of a 2x4 or other such implement to their cranium) and hands the troopers back to the British, before someone else decides to do something remarkably stupid... or at least moreso than they already have.  Regardless, at this point, I think any half-assed attempts at conspiracy theories are about as useless as a screen door on an interstellar warship. 

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Random Yak, Wake Up America, basil's blog, DragonLady's World, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, LaTogaStrappata®, third world county, Allie Is Wired, stikNstein... has no mercy, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Overtaken by Events, Pirate's Cove, Dumb Ox Daily News, High Desert Wanderer, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe, as well as Wizbang.