- Ahmadinejad displays inability of Britain to "go it alone" militarily against Iran, providing tactile reinforcement to propoganda framing of Britain as an also-ran colonial has-been.
- Ahmadinejad stings Britain by engineering the defeat of an armed RN patrol, displays indifference to the minor amount of international pressure levied against him, then - on his own time table - releases the well cared for RN sailors with brand new suits and smiling photo opps with him to international applause, as a "gift to the British people", catching the Blair government off-guard and unaware (again). By all outward appearances it looks like Britain has been impotent to deal with the situation during the entire process, Iran has been the driver.
- Ahmadinejad scores internal political points by presenting medals to IRI Revolutionary Guard officers for defeat of the former regional colony-maker.
PT Barnum could not have done it better himself. The Blair government doesn't hold a candle to the Tehranian PR machine.
- Ahmadinejad stings Britain by engineering the defeat of an armed RN patrol, displays indifference to the minor amount of international pressure levied against him, then - on his own time table - releases the well cared for RN sailors with brand new suits and smiling photo opps with him to international applause, as a "gift to the British people", catching the Blair government off-guard and unaware (again). By all outward appearances it looks like Britain has been impotent to deal with the situation during the entire process, Iran has been the driver.
- Ahmadinejad scores internal political points by presenting medals to IRI Revolutionary Guard officers for defeat of the former regional colony-maker.
PT Barnum could not have done it better himself. The Blair government doesn't hold a candle to the Tehranian PR machine.
