Tom Fudge: Yesterday, the government of Iran released 15 British sailors who had been held for nearly two weeks. The British troops were seized by Iranian forces for allegedly entering Iranian waters. British authorities say the sailors were in Iraqi waters, and the seizure was unjustified.
The incident underlines Britain's continuing involvement in the occupation of Iraq. And it underlines the unique relationship Britain has with the U.S. in the Iraq war, and the fight against terrorism. Geoff Hoon is the former secretary of defence for Tony Blair's Labor government. He was, so to speak, the Donald Rumsfeld of England during most of the Iraq War. Now, he's a member of Parliament and minister for Europe. He's in San Diego to speak at UC San Diego on civil rights and the war on terrorism. He joins me now in studio to talk about terrorism, the war in Iraq and the Anglo-American alliance.
The Right Honorable Geoff Hoon will speak today, Thursday, April 5, at 6 p.m. in the Price Center Ballroom at UCSD on "Civil Liberties and the War on Terrorism" as part of the Dewitt Higgs Memorial Lecture. The event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Gretchen Harris, the program coordinator, at (858) 534-1704 or gharris@ucsd.edu.
Guest
- The Right Honorable Geoff Hoon, former British secretary of state for defence, former leader of the House of Commons, member of Parliament, and the minister for Europe.
