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British Sailors and Marines New Conference

Aired April 06, 2007 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They out front you. And a U.S. soldier. You're going to be a soldier because daddy's going to buy you this chopper. That's what he keeps repeating over and over.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now father and son are marching in the store showcasing the weapon. Then the father goes one step further.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He sits the child down. He unslings the weapon and slings it over the child's back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With an assault rifle now shrunk over the infant's soldier, that's where Dan Reece (ph) says he drew the line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is when I become angry and tell the man, give me the weapon and I take it away from him. I tell the clerk to shut the case. That these people cannot buy any firearms from us. And this man becomes irate and wants to fight with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, local authorities say they were concerned about the video, but that the father didn't do anything against the law.

Good morning again, everyone. Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

We are awaiting the start of a news conference in England. You see the room right there where we are going to be meeting at least some of the 15 British sailors and marines who were held captive in Iran. I see a couple people walking in.

HARRIS: Sure.

NGUYEN: Apparently not the ones that we're wanting to hear from just yet.

HARRIS: But this is sort of the culmination. And, in many cases, one of several moments that we have been waiting for. An opportunity to hear from the sailors and marines themselves to answer so many questions. What about those so-called confessions? Were they real? What kind of conditions were you held in? Were you taken care of? Were you at any moment intimidated, threatened with any ill harm?

So many questions for these sailors and marines. I don't suspect we will hear from all of them. It looks like there will be a smaller group of the 15 that will actually take part in this news conference.

But, you know what, let's sort of look back over the last 24 hours at least. Well, yes, at the last 24 hours and some of the scenes that we have witnessed. What a story has unfolded before our eyes right here in the NEWSROOM, as you take a look at some of the pictures of the sailors and marines who were taken in this disputed waterway, disputed between two countries, Iraq and Iran.

And maybe perhaps the best thing to do is get a bit of the scene setter of what we're expecting this morning, what we might hear from these sailors and marines. Here's Paula Hancocks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The 15 British military personnel are still in the RAF base behind me in southwest England, still undergoing debriefing and medical checks. Now shortly we will be hearing from them to find out exactly what happened in Iran.

Back on British soil and finally reunited with their loved ones. Fifteen British sailors and marines describe it as a dream come true. Now for the tough questions. Several said they were well-treated while being held in Iran. Since they've been back, there have been suggestions of solitary confinement. One defense official described the moods of the 14 men and one woman as ranging from jubilant to emotionally struggling.

Today, the former detainees are still being extensively debriefed, along with a complete physical check. Also, the first chance for the public to hear what really happened. The royal navy has started an investigation of how the 15 could have been captured and crucially whose waters they were in.

Britain says they were in Iraqi waters. Iran claims British crews have previously violated their waters. In a British television interview before the capture, one captain of the crew said part of their job was to gather intelligence of Iranian activities in the area. The ministry of defense insists this is not unusual in modern operations.

A ministry of defense official says that many of them are far more relaxed this Friday. Thursday evening they enjoyed a four-course meal with their families, who they hadn't seen for some time. We also saw them as they landed in Heathrow, looking relaxed and well, but the physical check they're undergoing at the moment will say exactly how they are.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, RAF Chibina (ph), England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So as we look live now at the room where those 15 sailors and marines, or at least some of them, are hoping to come to the microphones very shortly and give us a description of exactly what happened. A lot of questions, Tony, are going to be surrounding how they were treated and those confessions that many of us saw on television worldwide. Were they coerced into that? What was the condition surrounding that? And there is some talk, too, that a few of them at least were held in solitary confinement and what that did to their state of mind as they were being held by the Iranians.

A lot of questions. But I think a lot of people watching would say the good news today is, yes, indeed, they are home, but what happened while you were in captivity?

HARRIS: And those are a number of the questions that will be asked and certainly answered this morning in this news conference that will begin shortly. But as you think back over the last 24 hours and some of these amazing pictures that we have witnessed, I think just a few moments ago we saw some family members entering that room there. But thinking about the last 24 hours and what we've seen, these images of these sailors and marines and what was the ordeal like for them.

The news was -- it was such a day of mixed emotions for the British people. Sure, they were over joyed at having the sailors and marines back from Tehran. But you'll recall yesterday also was a day when the British prime minister, Tony Blair, made the announcement of the deaths of four service personnel, British service personnel, in Basra.

So it was a day of mixed emotions. Certainly the highlight of it all was just seeing the moment when those sailors and marines, this picture here, were reunite with their family members and the hugs and the personnel -- the service personnel on cell phones. And as you can see here, the tears. They were wiping away tears and hugging loved ones and fathers and sons and this moment here was tremendous, a couple of short kisses and then this long embrace. So it was just a wonderful story to be able to tell here.

And, of course, today, as we move forward, and the story moves forward. Again, Betty, as you mentioned, a lot of the questions that are out there still need answers.

NGUYEN: Well, it was such a diplomatic tug of war between Iran and Britain. And yesterday it was very interesting, too, because you heard the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, say that he was granting amnesty as a gift, his words, as a gift for the British people ahead of the Easter holiday.

HARRIS: An Easter gift, yes. Yes.

NGUYEN: Also provided them literally with gifts as they left.

HARRIS: Parting gifts.

Yes, and there is no doubt about the fact that over the last couple of days the Iranian president has been a master at theater. Folks will say propaganda. And there is no doubt about the fact that these sailors and marines were paraded out in front of the cameras at several points during this whole ordeal. You know what, let's listen in now as the sailors and marines come into the room. Let's listen to the applause that they're receiving right now.

As we expected -- listen in.

CPT. CHRIS AIR, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: Good afternoon. My name is Captain Chris Air, marines. Myself and the gentlemen on my left, Lieutenant Felix Carman, are now going to read our statement.

Before we start this facility, I would like to say a few words on behalf of every member on our team. Yesterday we were reunited with our families after a 14-day ordeal that none of us will ever forget. On arrival at London Heathrow, we were given the news that four U.K. servicemen and a civilian interpreter had been killed in Iraq. We would like to pass on our thoughts and condolences to the families of those who died serving their country.

We would also like to, as a group, thank the staff of the British embassy in Tehran and the foreign office and ministry of defense for all their work in securing our release. We understand that a great deal of effort has been going on behind the scenes to enable us to be returned to the U.K. and for that we are very grateful.

We would also like to thank British Airways and London Heathrow for making our return so comfortable, quick and easy.

Lastly, I would like to thank the very many members of the royal navy and royal marines who have been working so hard over the last two weeks supporting our families and friends and for arranging our return here.

LT. FELIX CARMAN, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: On Friday, the 23rd of March, I, along with 14 of my colleagues, were part of a routine boarding patrol. We deployed from HMS Cornwall in two rifts (ph) -- those are rigged (ph) inflatable boats -- and patrolled into an area south of the Shatt al-Arab waterway. This is meant to be a routine boarding operation, which followed 66 similar boarding operations in the previous four weeks.

We approached an unidentified merchant vessel that are supporting helicopter had identified as worth investigation. We carried out a completely compliant boarding with the full cooperation of the master and the crew. The royal marines secured the vessel and the royal navy element of the boarding party then arrived and commenced a thorough search of the ship. This was in complete accordance with our U.N. mandate and as part of an international coalition.

We were equipped with zeries (ph), true navigational equipment, and handheld GPS for backup. The helicopter as support provide continuous navigational confirmation and we were also linked through HMS Cornwall, who were monitoring our exact position at all times. Let me make it absolutely clear, irrespective of what has been said in the past, when we were detained by the IRG, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, we were inside internationally-recognized Iraqi territorial waters. And I can clearly state we were 1.7 nautical miles from Iranian waters.

AIR: It was during the boarding that we noted the helicopter return to mother and we started calling the ship on VHF to find out why. A short while later, two speed boats were spotted approaching rapidly about 400 meters away.

It was then that I ordered everybody to make their weapons ready and I ordered the boarding party to return to the boats. By the time all were back on board, two Iranian boats had come alongside. One officer spoke good English and I explained that we were conducting a routine operation as allowed under the U.N. mandate. But when we tried to leave, they prevented us by blocking us in.

By now it was becoming increasingly clear they had arrived with a planned intent. Some of the Iranians sailors were becoming deliberately aggressive and unstable. They rammed our boats and turned their heavy machine guns, RPG and weapons on us. Another six boats were closing in on us.

We realized that our efforts to reason with these people were not making any headway, nor were we able to calm some of the individuals down. It was at this point that we realized that had we resisted there would have been a major fight, one which we could not have won and with consequences that would have major strategic impacts. We made a conscious decision not to engage the Iranians and do as they asked. They boarded our boats, removed our weapons, and steered the boats towards the Iranian shore.

CARMAN: On arrival, a small, Iranian naval base, we were blindfolded, stripped of all our kit and led to a room where I declared myself as the officer in charge and was introduced to their local commander. Two hours later, we were moved to a second location and throughout the night were subjected to random interrogations. The questions were aggressive and handling rough but it was no worse than that.

The following morning, we were flown to Tehran and transported to a prison where the atmosphere changed completely. We were blindfolded, our hands were bound, we were forced up against the wall.

Throughout our ordeal, we faced constant psychological pressure. Later we were stripped and then dressed in pajamas. The next few nights were spent in stone cells, approximately eight feet by six, sleeping on piles of blankets. All of us were kept in isolation.

We were interrogated most nights and presented with two options, if we admitted that we had strayed we would be back on a plane to the U.K. pretty soon. If we didn't, we faced up to seven years in prison. We all at one time or another made a conscious decision to make a controlled release of non-operational information.

We were kept in isolation until the last few nights when we were allowed to gather together for a few hours in the full glare of the Iranian media. On day 12, we were taken to a governmental complex, blindfolded and then given three-piece suits to wear. We watched the president's statement live on television and it was only then that we realized we were to be sent home. It goes without saying that there was a great deal of elation at this point.

We were made to then line up and meet the president one at a time. My advice to everyone was not to mess this up now, we all wanted to get home. Afterwards, and still blindfolded, we were taken back to the hotel and for the first time we met with U.K. representatives, including the ambassador, before boarding our flight to Heathrow.

AIR: In the short time we have been back, we have not been able to see all that has been broadcast or written about our ordeal. We are aware that many people have questioned why we allowed ourselves to be taken in the first place and why we allowed ourselves to be shown by the Iranian authorities on television. Let me be absolutely clear, from the outset it was very apparent that fighting back was simply not an option. Had we chosen to do so, then many of us would not be standing here today. Of that, I have no doubts.

The Iranian navy did not turn up lightly armed. They came with intent, heavy weapons, and very quickly surrounded us. We were equipped, armed and had rules of engagement for boarding operations with Iraqi water. We were not prepared to fight a heavily-armed force who, in our impression, came out deliberately in Iraqi waters to take us prisoner.

Reasoning with the Iranians was our only option. We tried, we did our utmost to de-escalate the situation, but our words fell on deaf ears. They had come with a clear purpose and they were never going to leave without us.

The Iranians are not our enemies. We are not at war with them. Our rules of engagement at that time stated that we could only use lethal force if we felt we were in imminent danger of a loss of life. Buy by that time the true intent of the Iranians had become apparent and we could have legitimately fought back, it was too late for action. We were completely surrounded.

And in addition to the loss of life, any attempt at fight back would cause a major, international incident and an escalated of tension within the region. Our team had seconds to make a decision and we believe that we made the right decision. We still believe this was the right thing to do.

CARMAN: Some people have questioned why HMS Cornwall did not provide greater protection for our team. HMS Cornwall is there to guard the vital oil platforms and command the coalition forces. She's also the platform by where the boarding teams can launch from and patrol out. Not only should she not have been closer to us, but she physically could not have been. The water in the area where we were captured was too shallow. We were all immensely proud to be members of her crew and we look forward to rejoining her.

I would just like to stress three points at this stage. When taken by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, we were well inside Iraqi territory waters. Secondly, the detention was clearly illegal and not a pleasant experience. We, as a group, held out for as long as we thought appropriate. We then complied up to a point with our captors. We remain immensely proud of our team. Their courage and dignity throughout their illegal detention was entirely in line with the best tradition (ph) to the service. Throughout our ordeal, we've tried to remain very much a team. No one individual should be singled out, but we are now very aware of the special treatment singled out to Faye Turney. Faye is a young mother and a wife. She volunteered to join the royal navy and is very proud to continue to serve. She's a highly-professional operator and we're incredibly proud to have her as a member of our team.

The fact she's a woman has been used as a propaganda tool by Iran. This is deeply regrettable. She is coming to terms with what has happened to her and not only Faye and her family but all of us are finding the press focus very uncomfortable, difficult, and we specifically request that you give all of us the space and privacy we need when we return to our homes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They will now take a question from BBC first.

QUESTION: Robert Hall from the BBC.

A lot has been written about the admissions and apologies that we saw you giving on Iranian television and in writing. Could you tell us a little bit more about the pressure that was brought to bear on you, in particular perhaps some of the details. There's been talk about executions (ph) and all sorts of things. Could you just tell us a little bit more about that?

CARMAN: Yes. The pressures that we were subjected to. They're quite diverse and they're -- in the way it was carried out. It was mainly psychological and emotional. To start with, it's the isolation was a major part of this. And a complete suffocation in terms of information from the outside world. None of the guards spoke English. We were blindfolded at all times and kept in isolation from each other.

Also, when we first went to the prison, we were put up against a wall, hands bound, blindfolded, and their people were cocking weapons in the background, which, as you can imagine, was an extremely nerve- racking occasion. So there were lots of tactics like that that were employed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

Could you elaborate a bit more, because we do understand that you went through -- or some of you went through actual mock executions. Is that what you were just referring to then?

CARMAN: Chris, do you want to (ph).

AIR: No. I can say now that the -- we weren't, any of us, done through mock executions. I think some of us feared the worse when we were in that situation, hearing weapons being cocked and not having any awareness, being blindfolded and our hands bound. But no circumstances were we subjected to that.

QUESTION: What was the worst moment for you guys? AIR: It was probably that incident because we were sort of under the impression that we were going to be taken to the embassy and probably be released. However, there was a lot of trickery and mind games being played. And we were then taken to a cell and left there.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE). Overall, how would you describe (INAUDIBLE) taken by the behavior and all (INAUDIBLE) the Iranian authorities (INAUDIBLE)?

CARMAN: (INAUDIBLE).

How did the Iranians behave towards us?

ABLE SEAMAN ARTHUR BATCHELOR, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: The Iranian behavior towards ourselves was humane. We were always fed and watered at three times a day. You know, we were allowed to have -- use your bad habits, like smoking that we do. But, unfortunately, it was just the fact that they made sure we were not talking or times we were not allowed to have a word -- even a small word with our friends. It was always sh, sh, no comment, you're not allowed to speak.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) being in charge, what's it like going through all that and not knowing where everybody was, what they're going through and what (INAUDIBLE)?

CARMAN: Well, (INAUDIBLE) in a bubble really. We didn't know if the outside world even knew we were missing really. We were absolutely starved for information. So there was some pretty low times, I'll admit, while we were in captivity and solitary confinement. However, being back, it's been completely overwhelming. It's great to see all our families. And we're just overjoyed to be back really.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE). You mentioned the fact that (INAUDIBLE) Iranian television meeting the president and so forth. How do you feel about that now that you're out? It was very important. It played all around the world.

AIR: (INAUDIBLE).

JOE TINDELL, BRITISH ROYAL MARINE: (INAUDIBLE) quite a shock coming back to the U.K. And, I mean, I've heard stories of people at home camping outside our house and things like that. And (INAUDIBLE) I'm just glad to be back. And I'm looking forward to going back to work as soon as I can.

QUESTION: Do you regret anything that you said? Any of you?

CARMAN: At all times, I think you listen carefully to what we said. We always through in words like "apparently" or "we were perceived" or "according to this evidence." At no time did we actually say, we apologize for intruding into Iranian waters. At all times we stuck to our guns and said, no, we were conducting our operation legally and I think some of the underhand tactics that were used were an insult to our intelligence, to be honest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: Paula Hancocks, CNN.

You said that you were looking forward to going back to HMS Cornwall. Do you know when this might be? And what can you do to make sure something like this does not happen again?

CARMAN: (INAUDIBLE).

ABLE SEAMAN SIMON MASSEY, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: We've got two weeks compassionate leave to, obviously, spend with our families as we've all missed them a lot over this very traumatic time. We are looking forward to getting back to work. It's a little unclear at the moment, but we will get briefed on that.

QUESTION: What can you do to make sure it doesn't happen again? I mean is there anything that you could do?

CARMAN: I think the navy is looking into that at the moment. And I can't comment further.

QUESTION: Halli Calihan (ph) from ITV News.

This is for Lieutenant Felix Carman.

And can you just describe again exactly what you admitted, what you didn't admit because it looks as though the Iranians edited what you were filmed saying.

CARMAN: Do you mean specifically the filmed parts? Well, I think Chris and myself were the ones that were briefing up against the chart. I can't remember exactly what we said. But the gist of it was, according to the evidence that's presented here by the Iranians, we appear to have entered Iranian territorial waters and we would like to assure the Iranian people that this wasn't deliberate. Words to that effect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE). Can you tell us a bit more about the mind games that they put you through? And did they deprive you of sleep? Did they deprive you of food? Did they use your family against you?

CARMAN: (INAUDIBLE).

ADAM SPERRY, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: I think what the they did, the people -- you give people privileges and they seat it for (INAUDIBLE) people that these people getting privileges. So people in solitary confinement, people (INAUDIBLE) sometimes. The people in solitary confinement was hearing about this and obviously sat in their own cells to think all day, maybe convince them to comply as well. QUESTION: Did they suggest that you had been abandoned by the British government or by the British people?

SPERRY: They were seeping rumors that George Bush had said negative things like we'd been tortured enough and the British government was not apologizing and, obviously, we was in a bubble, so we didn't know what was happening. But none of us believed that for a second.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: Yes, Carl Bostin (ph) with NBC News.

Since Faye Turney herself is not here, can you go into what kinds of pressures she might have been under when she composed her letters? And are you aware of what se said in her letters? And the pressure she might have been under to make the statements that she made? Also how's doing today and how is she on the flight home? Thank you.

AIR: Yes. Being in Islamic country, Faye was subjected to different rules than we were. She was separated from us as soon as we arrived in Tehran in the detention center and isolated in a cell well away from any of us. She was told shortly afterwards that we had all been returned home and was under the impression for about four days that she was the only one there. So clearly she had subjected to quite a lot of stress that we, unfortunately, we didn't know about and we weren't subjected to ourselves.

She coped admirably and retained a lot of dignity and has maintained that throughout. And coming home to her family is clearly a great relief. And she just wants to sort of have some time with them now and out of the media spotlight because, like all of us, she's been exploited.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: Richard Howe (ph), BBC radio.

Do you know if any concessions have been made to secure your release?

CARMAN: By the British government?

QUESTION: Yes.

CARMAN: Not that we're aware of.

QUESTION: You haven't heard anything at all in that respect about any American concessions either?

CARMAN: Not at all.

QUESTION: What are your thoughts now towards the Iranian president and the Iranian people? We saw you shaking hands and wearing those suits and taking the gifts. What are your thoughts to them now today? CARMAN: (INAUDIBLE).

TINDELL: To tell you the truth, we, again, I'm not -- being in the country, there a selective few that we subjected to a lot, as you know, various mind games and, obviously, we're not pleased about it. And as far as our concern, the whole thing was a complete media stunt and I've got nothing else to say really. I'm not their biggest fan. Put it that way.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE). In the media yesterday there were reports that you -- part of the operation was intelligence gathering on Iran. Could you elaborate a little bit more on that? Is that part of what you were doing out there?

AIR: Yes, I'd like to make a comment on that. Firstly, that was taken slightly out of context. I think if you had seen the whole interview and the time we were on that particular Dow (ph) in Iraqi waters, that Dow had been boarded several weeks previously by the revolutionary guard, which is quite typical, especially in the area near the buffer zone between the two Iraqi and Iranian waters. It's a big old tactic they use to come along and actually often they drag them back into Iranian withers, they rob them, beat them up and often detain them in Iran.

The intelligence I was referring to is more sort of general information and situational awareness of the activities in the Gulf region, i.e., the Iraqi waters. We, obviously, have several different types of vessel and activity going on there, fishing and tankers and I just meant we wanted to see things from the Iranian point of view as well because they do spent quite a lot of time in Iraqi waters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: Hi. I'm Nick Costable (ph), Mail on Sunday (ph).

Could you be a little more specific on who was kept in solitary confinement and for how long over how many days? Just give us a little bit more about that.

CARMAN: When we got to the prison, at all times initially we were kept in solitary confinement. There was absolutely no speaking. We were blindfolded to go to the toilet. However, later on, I would say probably a week into it, we were taken out in the evenings for maybe a couple of hours just to play chess together or to -- just to socialize. But that was in the full glare of the Iranian media, as we previously stated. So it was very much a set-up, very much an stunt for Iranian propaganda.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much for that. Now we'll take a one minute (ph) call while the services (INAUDIBLE).

HARRIS: OK. And there you have it. We have been listening to the news conference held by a small group. We expected it to be a small group. A small group of the British sailors and marines held in Iran, in Tehran for nearly two weeks. It would have been two weeks ago today. You heard principally from British Royal Marine Chris Air and from Lieutenant Felix Carman of the British Royal Navy. And at the very top there, the sailors and marines making it absolutely clear that they believe , continue to maintain that they were absolutely, totally within recognized Iraqi waters when they were captured by the Iranian revolutionary guard.

They went on to describe their captivity in some length, describing that they were blindfolded, stripped, that the confessions that we saw on tape were forced, forced confessions, blindfolded and stripped, that they were kept mostly in isolation, that the handling was rough. The questioning was aggressive, that there was constant psychological pressure.

The idea of fighting back was not an option. That was one of the questions that we heard, why didn't they fight back. The sailors indicated that they were just not equipped for the kind of fight that would have been required and there was some concern that a firefight would lead to a larger escalation, a larger conflict and an international incident.

NGUYEN: Looking at pictures right now of Faye Turney. And there was a question surrounding the letters that she had sent. And I want you to just listen to a little bit of the explanation as to why she said what she said.

All right. We're working on that sound right now. But it was really telling. And the fact of the psychological tricks that were being used on these sailors and marines. Dee (ph), as soon as you get that sound for me let me know because I think it's a critical point in giving really good detail on how they were kept, in solitary confinement, and what was being said to them.

And as we saw, I mean, the only thing the rest of the world saw were these apologies, these taped apologies that a lot of people did not believe was, you know, authentic or real. And we learn today that indeed it wasn't. Were you trying to tell me something, Sara (ph)? OK.

HARRIS: Well, I think the point that you're making about Faye Turney is a good one because we heard the one marine and the sailors almost as a group describe that her situation might have been even more stressful because she was taken to a different area and held apart from the rest of the group.

NGUYEN: And for four days, I can just sum it up, essentially, for four days she was told that everyone else had gone home and that she was the only one left. Now, I believe we do have that sound. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Being in an Islamic country, Faye was subject to two different rules than we were. She was separated from us as soon as we arrived in Tehran in a detention center. And isolated in a cell well away from any of us. She was told shortly afterwards that we had all been returned home and was under the impression for about four days that she was the only one there. So clearly she had subjected to quite a lot of stress that we unfortunately -- we didn't know about and we weren't subjected to ourselves. She coped admirably and retained a lot of dignity and has maintained that throughout. And coming home to her family is clearly a great relief and that she just wants to sort of have some time with them now and out of the media spotlight because, like all of us, she's been exploited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And she obviously, as you mentioned, was not there today. But a little bit more information that we got about all of them. Now, that was Faye Turney's specifics of what she went through. But the rest of them were blindfolded, their hands were bound. And they were kept in solitary confinement for much of the time there.

HARRIS: We understand CNN's Paula Hancocks is available to us right now. She was in the room during the news conference.

Paula, good to see you. Walk us through some of the things that struck you about this news conference.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, yes. Well, obviously the main thing that struck us was the fact that those particular videos were obviously done under coercion. The fact that all six of them were saying it was like a media stunt. The fact that they say they had been dealt very -- dealt with very harshly and, also, the fact that they were in Iraqi waters.

Now, this is all information that the British government had been saying all along. This has been confirmed by them. But it does seem as though they were treated badly once they were in captivity. Obviously while they were being held captive in Iran, they had said that they were being treated well, but now they say they had been blindfolded, they had been held against the walls and they had heard guns cocking in the background and obviously that is very traumatic. They said also a lot of mind games were being played.

Now I think we are going to be joined hopefully right now by Christopher, Lieutenant Christopher Air. Let me just wander over and see if he can talk to us just yet.

Lieutenant, would you mind if we did a quick interview for CNN? Thank you very much. So, first of all, what does it feel like to be home and know that you're safe now?

LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER AIR: I was not there. I'm the Royal Navy Spokesman, (INAUDIBLE).

HANCOCKS: Oh, I'm so sorry, so sorry about that. My mistake. So we will be talking to Christopher Air in just one moment. And what he was saying is one thing he wanted to specify and clear up, which we hadn't had before, was the fact that the intelligence gathering we had been hearing about on Iranian activities in the area, this is something we had been focusing on. Christopher Air did want to say that that, in fact, was not what they were doing. This is normal. They were just trying to find out what situation was in the area because some Iraqi fishermen had said they had been dragged into Iranian waters by Iranian boats and they had actually been robbed. So they themselves didn't feel they had to get any intelligence on them.

Back to you.

HARRIS: OK, Paula Hancocks for us in the room there at the Royal Marine Base there in Devon. Paula, thank you.

NGUYEN: She made a really good point about what these marines and sailors were trying to convey today. And that was that this was a routine mission here when they boarded this vessel. And, in fact, Lieutenant Felix Carman said that not only was it routine but they had done it 66 times in the previous weeks.

So as we think about exactly what happened in that waterway, which the Brits continue to say it was Iraqi waters that they were in, let's take a listen to what one of them had to say earlier today about how that went down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. FELIX CARMAN, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: We were equipped with serious (ph) true navigational equipment and handheld GPS for backup. The helicopters' support provided continuous navigational confirmation and were also linked through to reach MS Cornwall (ph), who were monitoring our exact position at all times.

I want to make it absolutely clear. Irrespective of what has been said in the past, when we were detained by the IRG, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, we were inside internationally-recognized Iraqi territorial waters. And I can clearly state we were 1.7 nautical miles from Iranian waters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: So there you have it. They claim and will continue to claim that they were in Iraqi waters. They were abiding by the rules of the game out there when all of this occurred.

Now, when the capture took place, we get a little more insight from Lieutenant Felix Carman, let's take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARMAN: On arrival, a small Iranian naval base, we were blindfolded, stripped of all of our kits and led to a room where I declared myself as the officer in charge and was introduced to their local commander. Two hours later, we were moved to a second location and throughout the night were subjected to random interrogations. The questions were aggressive and the handling rough, but it was no worse than that. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And as we continue to sort of play back some of the moments from this news conference, I think one of the more striking moments was when the sailors and marines were talking about their actual physical confinement. This idea of being blindfolded, being placed in isolation, sleeping on hard floors.

A moment now from the news conference when we got more of an indication, this is that moment when we learned more about their treatment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARMAN: We were blindfolded, our hands were bound, we were forced up against the wall. Throughout our ordeal, we faced constant psychological pressure. Later, we were stripped and then dressed in pajamas. The next few nights were spent in stone cells, approximately eight feet by six, sleeping on piles of blankets. All of us were kept in isolation.

We were interrogated most nights and presented with two options. If we admitted that we had strayed, we would be back on a plane to the U.K. pretty soon. If we didn't, we faced up to the seven years in prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And then there is the question of those were clearly difficult conditions but then we heard from another one of the Navy personnel, Arthur Batchelor, talking about humane treatment, described as that there were moments when the men were taken out, when the sailors and marines were taken out into a courtyard area, one would think, and they were given a couple of hours where they could communicate with one another, talk with one another, and also play chess.

So here is Arthur Batchelor talking about humane conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABLE SEAMAN ARTHUR BATCHELOR, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: The Iranian behavior towards ourselves was humane. They -- we were always fed and watered at -- at three times a day. You know, we were allowed to have -- use our bad habits, like smoking that we do. 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. It was always sh, sh, no comment, you're not allowed to speak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... a small word with our friends. It was always shh, shh, no comment, you're not allowed to speak.

HARRIS: And once again, let's take you back to the news conference, the room where it was held. Paula Hancocks (ph) is there, and she has a guest with her.

Paula?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So Captain Christopher Air, thank you for joining us. How does it feel, first of all, to be at home and know that you're safe?

CAPT. CHRIS AIR, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: We're just elated. It was only really that we touched down at London Heathrow to that we knew we were safe. And just to see the look of delight on our family's faces.

HANCOCKS: How much have you been doing, what sort of treatment did you have?

AIR: We encountered a variety of different organizations and people at different stages at time we were in Iran. The treatment varied from being very polite and people who said they were there to help us and they were there for our benefit. To the people that we really couldn't trust and we thought were out there to harm us.

HANCOCKS: Are there any points when you thought that you either had to try and escape?

AIR: There was, I guess, some critical points. One of them was when we encountered the Iranians first, when we were on the vessel. That was probably the key point. It could have gone very wrong. I think the fact that we're back home, alive, and there isn't a major critical incident, is clearly shows the right decision was made. We have the choice, under ROE, to engage them and I just told the lads to cooperate and put their hands in the air. I think otherwise, we wouldn't be here today.

HANCOCK: So when you're doing a televised message, where you are being coerced into something like that. What goes through your mind, what are you think?

AIR? In terms of the statement I made? Well, we knew what we were going to be asked before because we had been interrogated before. They were asking us to say several things. And if you listen to the interview, I gave, I, myself and several others, were very specific in what we said. We never admitted we were in Iranian waters and we were clear about that. We just said there were differences and discrepancies between the charts they had shown us and the ones that we knew we had were correct. And a mistake had been made. We didn't say who made the mistake. But I think everything knows the truth.

HANCOCKS: And you're training obviously, you've been trained for this kind of situation as the worst-case scenario, what goes through your mind and how do you keep yourself going?

AIR: In terms of the Marines, I guess, the training we go through is under duress. And we are taught about commander qualities and my life showed them in abundance the policies, courage, unselfishness, determination and a sense of humor in adversity really kept them going.

HANCOCKS: And you being in the Iraqi waters in the first place, what was your primary reason for being there? You have said, and you have cleared this up to a certain extent, but also you gather intelligence on Iranian activities in the area, what does that mean?

AIR: Well, what I mean is, in terms of the fact that Iranians actually come into Iraqi waters and they're part of the activity and the craft they go into Iraqi waters. We're not just gathering intelligence on them specifically, but all sorts of activities in the waters and it just happens that they are included in that.

HANCOCKS: And, finally, obviously you're going to HMS Cornwall but this could happen again, obviously. If you say you were in Iraqi waters, what can you physically do to stop this?

AIR: I think in terms of the intelligence picture, we now know a bit more about their intent.

HANCOCKS: Do you See them more as enemies now?

AIR: We never regarded them as the enemy. This event is unprecedented when coming into Iraqi waters and taking us. We'll have several issues and steps that we're currently looking into to make sure this doesn't happen again.

HANCOCKS: Captain Christopher Air, thank you very much for joining us. That's the word from Captain Christopher Air, now back to you.

HARRIS: OK, thank you Paula, appreciate it. Paula Hancocks in the room there, at the Royal Marine Base in Devin, England, the site of the news conference just a short time ago, just wrapped up. Between a small group, with a small group of the 15 Sailors and Marines held captive by Iran for nearly two weeks. Let's take a quick break.

We will recap this story, reset it for you, right after a break. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: We want to take you live now to the UK where our Paula Hancocks, as you see there, is speaking with Able Seaman Arthur Batchelor (ph). Let's take a listen to this exchange.

HANCOCKS: Arthur Batchelor, thank you for doing this. How do you feel at the moment?

BATCHELOR: Very happy, relieved, to be completely honest.

HANCOCKS: So how was it over there? What was the real low points? BATCHELOR: Being alone, just solitary, you know, not knowing what's happening to the others. One person I did, I was at first worried for.

HANCOCKS: How did they treat you at the beginning? I mean, when they first came on the boats? Did you have any idea this is the way it would turn out?

BATCHELOR? No, but I had believed that this one would day, this reunion, would one day happen. But I did not know how long it would be captive for, I had no idea.

HANCOCKS: When the two Iranian boats came up to you in the first place, did you have any idea that this would ensue? Did you feel you were in danger?

BATCHELOR: There was a little fear because we had seen mounted guns, there was a lot of fear.

HANCOCKS: What exactly were you doing in those waters?

BATCHELOR: It was Iraqi waters. And me personally, I was Boat Commander, therefore telling them, to make sure we get in a certain position and just tell them where our position is for ourselves. And we were at the time boarding a vessel suspected of smuggling.

HANCOCKS: So when you were, obviously at the worst points, what goes through your mind, what keeps you going?

BATCHELOR: This reunion, and getting back to normality, you know, just everything.

HANCOCKS: Now, you all said you were quite clean to get back to get back to HMS Cornwall and do you know when that would be? And, to be honest, are you not worried this could happen again?

BATCHELOR: Not at all worried because I believe that this was just, you know, their conduct. But I believe this won't happen again and I'm very eager to get back to work, yes.

HANCOCKS: You believe the particular boats, the men in the boats, have planned it, or do you think this is a higher thing?

BATCHELOR: I'm not sure who planned it. I just believe it was preplanned.

HANCOCKS: Your opinions of the Iranians now, will you be far more wary of them now when you're in Iraqi waters?

BATCHELOR: See, the thing is, the people as a whole, you know, we bear nothing bad towards them. It was just those individuals that we came across. So we have nothing against them personally. It's just what happened.

HANCOCKS: And during that near two weeks were there any moments where you considered trying to escape, or anything like that? BATCHELOR: Well, I did have a very good imagination during the time, so I had seen things happen. But to be honest, I felt if we try escape, it would have got a lot worse for the people, and if one person escaped then the others could have maybe been treated a lot worse.

HANCOCKS: Thank you very much.

BATCHELOR: Thank you.

HANCOCKS: Thank you, guys.

Operator Maintainer Arthur Batchelor there, saying that he is obviously very happy to be back with his mother, saying that they all believed this reunion. When he was at his lowest point, he thought of his training, and also had, as he said, a very vivid imagination about imagine escaping.

Back to you.

HARRIS: CNN's Paula Hancocks for us. Paula, thank you, there at the Royal Marine base in Devin, England.

And I think this is interesting. Actually, it is -- actually some of the comments from the able seaman, Arthur Batchelor, point out one of the contradictions that still rests in my mind is this idea of harsh conditions, but humane treatment.

NGUYEN: He said had three meal a day in the earlier part of the news conference. And then they were asked whether they harbor resentment or ill will toward the Iranian people, and he said, toward the people, no, but obviously the captors, they have a much different feeling about them.

HARRIS: Yes, we're going to take a quick break and some back with more of our coverage of this morning's news conference right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE TINDELL, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: Selective few we were subjected to a lot, as you know, various mind games, and obviously we're not pleased about it. And as far as I'm concerned, the whole thing was a complete media stunt. And I've got nothing else to say. I'm not their biggest fan, put it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And that was Royal Marine Joe Tindell getting back to the point we made right before the commercial break, a lot of times that these Marines and sailors are being asked, well, what do you think of the Iranian people, and that's what he said, he's not their biggest fan, but a lot of the questions, too, surrounding the treatment that they underwent, and especially these confessions that we saw.

HARRIS: And I think the outrage of the morning to come out of the news conference of many is this idea that they're blindfolded and they're shoved up against a wall, and what they can hear behind them are guns being cocked. But interestingly enough, the one sailor or marine who spoke to that point refused to call that a mock execution.

But if you step back for just a second, Betty, from this news conference -- we've got the benefit of about 30 minutes or so to look at this -- you know, it's interesting that there was an arc to the captivity to that seems to parallel the arc in the negotiations, the diplomacy, those diplomatic efforts to free them, to win their release in the early stages. Clearly the treatment was harsh. This idea of being blindfolded, of being stripped, of being kept in isolation, and then there was the description that seemed to parallel when the diplomacy seemed to be on a better track, that there were moments when the sailors and marines were actually allowed to communicate with one another, to be in the same space together, not sort of cordoned off into their own separate little cells, if you will, but allowed to meet together and to talk together, to do the things they do, to smoke.

NGUYEN: One of them said play chess.

HARRIS: To play chess. So it seems, to me at least, that there seemed to have been a parallel, a parallel track in terms of the treatment of the soldiers, of the sailors and the marines, and the diplomatic effort to win their freedom.

NGUYEN: Because in the beginning we heard from Lieutenant Felix Carman, who said, if we admitted wrong, they said would put us back into the U.K. within days. But if they did not admit wrongdoing and apologize, they would face seven years in Iranian prison.

HARRIS: OK, so we will continue to follow this, getting close to the top of the hour. We will take a quick break, come back with more of our coverage of the news conference that just concluded at the Royal Marine base in Devon, England.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Just want to sort of recap where we are. The last hour brought us the news conference that we expected at the Royal Marine Base in Devon, England.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is standing by, and I believe she has someone else who was involved with the sailors and marines involved in the news conference this morning -- Paula.

HANCOCKS: Yes, we are waiting for Lieutenants Felix Carman. Now this is the gentleman who was in one of those videos, though he had to make an apology, that video from Tehran, and also making a confession that they were, in fact, in Iranian waters.

Now we know after this press conference that was not the case, they were in Iraqi waters. As you can imagine, some interest around this particular gentleman. He was head of the crew as well. He said that as soon as they were taken into captivity, he made that known, and he was taken away to solitary confinement, and then had to talk to the head of those that had taken him as well. So if you come back to me in just one second, we will try and get through this rubble and talk to him.

HARRIS: OK, all right. Paula, we will do just that. But as we sort of reset this story for you in the last hour, we heard from a small group of the 15 sailors and marines.

NGUYEN: About half of them.

HARRIS: Yes, about half of them. And we heard from them, and their thoughts on their captivity, nearly two weeks. we will get back to Paula Hancocks in just a moment here in the NEWSROOM.

But good morning. The top of the hour.

NGUYEN: It's been busy, hasn't it?

HARRIS; Events are happening, unfolding from moment to moment. Thank you for your patience this morning. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We have a lot to tell you about. A lot of it surrounding those 15 marines and sailors who have been released. Developments just coming into the NEWSROOM on this Friday, April 6th, Good Friday.

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