11 April 2007

Browne: 'The buck stops here'

Defence Secretary Des Browne has said that he takes full responsibility for decisions, which allowed two members of the British naval crew held captive in Iran to sell their stories.

Speaking in his first interview since the row, Mr Browne said that he had been asked to note the navy's decision to allow the freed personnel to sell their stories.

He said that he was not "content" with the analysis of the situation put forward by the navy, but had accepted it.

The Defence Secretary said that, "with hindsight", he could have made a different decision. He said: "Ultimately, the buck stops here."

The fifteen sailors and marines were in patrol boats in the Shatt Al Arab waterway when they were detained by Iranian forces.

Iran said that the Britons had strayed into their waters - a claim which was denied by the British government.

Arthur Batchelor, 20, the youngest of the sailors to be held captive sold his story to the 'Daily Mirror', while Leading Seaman Faye Turney, 26 - the only woman among those captured - sold her story to ITV1's 'Tonight With Trevor MacDonald' and 'The Sun' newspaper.

The decision to allow the personnel to sell their stories has been widely criticised by people including politicians and relatives of soldiers who have been killed in Iraq.

Conservative leader David Cameron said that the decision was "calamitous" and called for an inquiry into the decision.

On Tuesday, Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague slammed the decision, saying: "There are people who have lost their loved ones in Afghanistan and Iraq, but they are not writing their stories."

(KMcA/SP)