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Marine apologizes on Iran TV

An image taken from Iranian television Friday shows British service personnel, from left, Nathan Thomas Summers, Faye Turney and an unidentified man. The three were among 15 sailors and marines captured by Iranians for allegedly trespassing in Iranian waters. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Borzou Daragahi and Ramin Mostaghim Los Angeles Times
An image taken from Iranian television Friday shows British service personnel, from left, Nathan Thomas Summers, Faye Turney and an unidentified man. The three were among 15 sailors and marines captured by Iranians for allegedly trespassing in Iranian waters. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

TEHRAN, Iran – A British marine captured by Iranians a week ago was shown on state television Friday apologizing for trespassing on Iranian territorial waters.

Royal Marine rifleman Nathan Thomas Summers, seated with female captive Faye Turney and another detainee, looked healthy and relaxed as he spoke.

“We illegally trespassed on Iran’s territorial waters and were arrested by the Iranian border guards,” said Summers, seated before a pink floral curtain. “I would like to deeply apologize to the Iranian people for the issue.”

The footage, along with a letter allegedly written by Turney criticizing British foreign policy, drew swift condemnation by British authorities as violations of international standards for the treatment of 15 captured sailors and marines as the tense standoff between Tehran and London entered a second week.

“I really don’t know why the Iranian regime keeps doing this. All it does is enhance people’s disgust at the captured personnel being paraded and manipulated in this way. It doesn’t fool anyone,” British Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

He said Britain will continue its work to try to “isolate” Iran.

The European Union on Friday, in a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bremen, Germany, demanded that Iran free the soldiers.

Calling the crisis “a big mistake,” EU foreign policy director Javier Solana said the “British soldiers should be released immediately and without preconditions.”

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, told reporters: “It is clear that a message of solidarity must be sent from here.”

British officials insist the 15 service personnel were on a routine inspection mission in the territorial waters of Iraq, where Americans and Britons assist the Baghdad government under United Nations mandate. They’ve demanded their immediate release and on Thursday obtained a U.N. statement calling for an end to the crisis.

Iran alleges the 14 men and one woman illegally entered Iranian territorial waters. Both sides have released maps and GPS coordinates they say bolster their cases.

Iranian officials have said that before they grant the sailors access to British diplomats in Tehran or consider releasing them, they want Britain to apologize and to vow never to cross into Iranian territorial waters again. London has refused.

Officials from Turkey, France, Iraq, Japan, Australia and the United Nations stepped in to contain the escalating diplomatic confrontation, which has sent world oil prices to six-month highs.