O.K. Wolfgang, so I'm not polite when responding to teribus. Why should I be?

He said it was Japanese vessel. I said it was Iranian (I was confused - sorry if it was misleading but I meant it as a question). Now we know it was a merchant vessel flying and Indian flag. Teribus does not deserve an apology.

Yes, there is confusion about the territorial boundaries. It also seems that the Brits were not properly informed about how 'touchy' the Iranians were about these boundaries. Iraqi fisherman seemed to know it was best to stay well within Iraqi waters.

"The Iraqi military commander of the country's territorial waters cast doubt on claims the Britons were in Iraqi waters."

So why did the Brits push the envelope?

"We were informed by Iraqi fishermen after they had returned from sea that there were British gunboats in an area that is out of Iraqi control," Brig. Gen. Hakim Jassim told AP Television News in the southern city of Basra."

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=6f4e8311-22d2-43ba-8198-bcc3a9eeda83&k=83132

Odd how most of the media has failed to report the Iraqi side of this question when it is Iraq and Iran who know the traditional lines of demarcation. As far as I'm concerned its another case of U.S/Britain asserting their power in foreign territory.