BRITISH military chiefs yesterday once again put their soldiers in the front line, this time to face the world’s media to try to explain away the situation that their chiefs had got them into.
After their unconditional freeing by the Iranian president the scripted effort to depict the Iranians as brutes fell flat, especially since Leading Seaman Faye Turner could not be persuaded to attend the media show.
In a prepared joint statement read out by officers Captain Air and Lieutenant Carman, it was claimed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards had ‘deliberately entered Iraqi waters’ to arrest the UK crews and that they made ‘confessions’ after being ‘offered two choices, go free in a week or face 7 years in prison’.
Royal Marine Adam Sperry told journalists: ‘I did not think I was going to die at any point.’
Sperry was asked about a statement by Captain Air and Lieutenant Carman, made at the press conference, that the prisoners heard the sound of weapons being cocked while they were held blindfolded.
He replied: ‘We were stood against the wall at the detention centre, head on the wall, hands behind the back.
‘I don’t think – in my opinion it was more people’s imagination running away with themselves, and panic which is really natural.
‘In my opinion, I didn’t think I was going to die at any point, I was positive about that.’
Asked if he would be able to get over his ‘traumatic, difficult time’, Sperry said: ‘Oh definitely, yes. Spend some time with my friends, back to work next week.’
Royal Marines Captain Air was asked about his statement that he heard weapons being cocked while he was blindfolded.
He denied he or any of his men were subjected to mock executions.
He said: ‘No, I can say now that we weren’t, any of us, (subjected to) mock executions.’
He added that ‘some of us feared the worse’ but ‘under no circumstances were we subjected to that.’
Royal Navy Operator Maintainer Arthur Bachelor said: ‘The Iranian behaviour towards ourselves was humane, we were always fed and watered three times a day.
‘We were allowed to have our bad habits like smoking.
‘But unfortunately it was just the fact that they made sure we were not talking at all times, we were not allowed to have even a small word with our friends.’
