It is standard operating procedure when capturing prisoners, prior to interrogating them, to disorient them and confuse them, isolate them from one another and the world and scare the hell out of them, and to lie to them. There's a lot you can do without violating the Geneva Conventions to get people to talk, most of it based on getting people to believe they are going die or be tortured. I'm not saying the Iranians are nice guys, I'm saying that's what the Brits say happened to them, and it is EXACTLY what we are legally allowed to do to people we take prisoner. It's what I was trained to expect if I was captured. I expect the Brits were trained the same way. Inflicting physical discomfort and then pain was the next step up, and apparently that never happened in this case, according to the witnesses.

And believe me, I do know the difference. I have posted before on this topic and you know I was not looking forward to watching this episode play out. I knew one of the Pueblo crewmen, and I know what happened to them. Believe me, the Brits got off easy, as a nation and as captives. It could have been much, much worse. For whatever reason, the Iranians simply did not want to play hardball this time around. It worked out wonderfully. I did not expect to see it would end this easily myself, but it did and I am rejoicing. I'm sorry if it disappoints you that your worst fears weren't realized and it doesn't give you the ammunition you want.

I'm also getting pretty tired of being labeled as an apologist, or worse, because I don't accept your worst case scenarios, either. I need make no apologies to you for what I believe, even if I'm mistaken; we are all mistaken occasionally, remember? I am not some peacenik appeaser who is willing to accept foreign insults because I want to see my country humiliated. Neither is everyone who refuses to accept your version of events either.