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LONDON - Britain is giving "serious consideration" to a formal note from the Iranian government about 15 captured military personnel, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said today.
"Such exchanges are always confidential, so we cannot divulge any details. But we are giving the message serious consideration, and will soon respond formally to the Iranian government," the spokeswoman said.
The note was received by the British embassy in Tehran.
'Grave concern'
The UN Security Council expressed "grave concern" at Iran's detention of 15 British sailors and Marines and asked for their release.
In a press statement, negotiated for hours and watered down considerably from the original British draft, the 15-member body called for an "early resolution of this problem" and appealed to Iran to allow consular access.
Iran immediately responded by saying the council statement was "not helpful."
"This case can and should be settled through bilateral channels. The British government's attempt to engage third parties, including the Security Council, with this case is not helpful," Iran's UN mission said in a statement.
In negotiations among the 15 council members, first the word "deplores" was dropped in regard to Iran's action, followed by deletion of any reference to London's contention the British crew was in Iraqi and not Iranian waters as Tehran maintains. Also deleted was a call for the crew's "immediate" release.
Russia, with some backing from South Africa, was the main holdout. Moscow wanted only to repeat a statement from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who wished for an "early resolution of this problem."
"We will not be able to accept a call for the immediate release of the 15 United Kingdom naval personnel," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin was quoted by diplomats as telling the 15-nation council in closed consultations.
Britain's UN ambassador, Emyr Jones Parry, told reporters he was grateful for a united council stand.
"We have appealed to the government of Iran to allow consular access and further we have supported the calls by a number of people including the secretary-general of the United Nations for an early resolution of this problem including the release of the 15 UK personnel," Jones Parry said.
Unlike a resolution, all Security Council members must approve a statement, which means any one of the 15 nations has, in effect, a veto right.
Richard Grenell, spokesman for the US mission to the United Nations, told reporters during the consultations, "This is a terrible situation and the council should have immediately, within 30 minutes, have issued a statement."
"From the US perspective this was a simple statement on a terrible situation," Grenell said.
Second letter
The Iranian embassy in London released a second letter today it said was from British woman captive Faye Turney in which she called on Britain to start withdrawing its troops from Iraq.
Following is a full text of the letter:
"Representative of the House of Commons.
"I am writing to inform you of my situation. I am a British Serviceperson currently being held in Iran.
"I would like you to know of the treatment I have received whilst here. The Iranian people are kind, considerate, warm, compassionate and very hospitable. They have brought me no harm, but have looked after me well. I have been fed, clothed and well cared for.
"Unfortunately during the course of our mission we entered into Iranian waters. Even through our wrongdoing, they have still treated us well and humanely, which I am and always will be eternally grateful.
"I ask the representatives of the House of Commons after the government had promised that this type of incident would not happen again why have they let this occur and why has the government not been questioned over this? Isn't it time for us to start withdrawing our forces from Iraq and let them determine their own future?" End text.
No prisoner swap
Tony Blair will not negotiate a "tit-for-tat" deal to secure the release of the sailors and marines.
"What I'm afraid we can't do is end up in negotiation over hostages. What we can't do is say there's some kind of quid pro quo or tit-for-tat that goes on," Blair told ITV news. "That's not acceptable."
He said Britain wanted to make clear pressure on Iran would be "stepped up bit by bit by bit" until the sailors were freed.
"This is not a situation that can be resolved by anything other than the unconditional release of all our people."
Britain says Iranian gunboats seized its service members last week from Iraqi waters. Iran says the Britons entered its territory.
The standoff has become increasingly acrimonious since Wednesday after London presented what it said was proof from satellite data that the incident took place in Iraqi waters, and Tehran put the captured sailors on television.
"Obviously I felt the same way most people do, which is a sense of disgust that people would be used in that way," Blair said of their treatment.
Britain has frozen business ties with Iran and hopes to persuade European Union foreign ministers to do the same across the 27-member bloc at a meeting on Friday.
Indian ship
The sailors were seeking to inspect an Indian ship in Iranian territorial waters, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying by state television.
"Regarding the British soldiers the issue was not just about passing by (through Iranian waters). It seems that they intended to inspect an Indian ship which was in Iran's territorial waters," Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was quoted as saying.
"Without announcing it to Iran, they entered into Iranian waters and stopped there," television quoted Larijani as saying.
He did not say why the Britons had been seeking to inspect the Indian vessel, nor did he give further details.
- REUTERS
