11 April 2007
Tony Blair says the decision for the seized Royal Navy personnel to take money from the media was a response to a “wholly exceptional” situation.
In an interview with Sky News, the PM said the situation wouldn’t occur again but insisted that the decision had been taken in good faith.
The MOD decided to allow the sailors and marines to sell their stories but has since ordered a review of the decision.
The 15 Britons were seized by Iranian gunboats in the Gulf on 23 March and freed last Thursday.
The PM’s words in full
Look, I didn’t actually know about the decision until after it was taken but really that is not the point. The Navy were trying to deal with a wholly exceptional situation in which the families were being pursued by the media to sell their stories and the Navy took the view that it was better to manage the situation rather than let it happen.
Now with hindsight was that a good idea? No, precisely because people would then misrepresent that as somehow the Navy encouraging people to sell their stories, which they weren’t doing at all. Do I believe it will happen again? No. But were people acting completely in good faith and honourably so far as the Navy was concerned? Yes, they were. Now I think we’ve had days of this now and really it’s time to move on.
Â
delicious
digg
facebook
