After the UK Navy service personnel were released by Iran and flown home, then the abuse and mudslinging really started.
It was first announced that the sailors were to be allowed to sell their stories to the media since this was an 'exceptional case'.
The reason given for the 'pay and tell' of the stories was to allow the real story to be gotten out there.
One question quickly jumped to mind. If the 'real story wasn't really getting out' then what 'truth' were we told in the press conference that this blog reported on once the personnel arrive back at their UK base?
But then the Defence Secretary Des Browne, after the lone female of the group Faye Turney had sold her story to The Sun newspaper (owned by News Corp's 'Mr Burns' media-baron Rupert Murdoch) and ITV's Tonight Programme for a six figure sum, said long after the sound of the stable door banging shut very, VERY loudly, ''Clearly with hindsight... I could have made a different decision''.
The Truthiness Blog Says ; No matter how badly this has been handled, in terms of trying to spin a story to the benefit of the UK and US position that Iran is the enemy, its been at best a half-hearted success. But the efforts to squeeze every drop of anti-Iranian feeling out of this situation were exhausted. Its clear the UK public aren't as gullible as some officials think, this wasn't an 'exceptional case', military hostages have happened every couple of years since the dawn of time.
So please don't hijack this situation to ratchet up tension toward Iran.
You tried to sell the story to the public ; but not everyone 'bought' it (accept Mr Murdoch).
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