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British Troops To Be Set Free; The U.S. & Syria
Aired April 04, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Just over an hour ago during a news conference by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. CNN's Jim Boulden has been following the breaking developments. He joins us from London.
And, Jim, we are starting to get some initial reaction from the prime minister's office. And I understand we're also expecting to hear from the British foreign secretary in the next 90 minutes or so.
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I mean you wouldn't be surprised to hear the prime minister's office has said that it welcomes the news of the release. Of course, they had been watching the president of Iran speaking as well. It took him 35 minutes to get around to this issue, and then he spoke for a while, actually gave out medals to the border guards, as he called them, who had captured the men and the one woman. And then he said, oh, by the way, we're going to release them. I think that came as a surprise to many people, including us. We had not expected that to be at the end of his announcement.
Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, said just yesterday, don't expect a quick resolution to this. But, indeed, that's what we have, Tony, and we will be hearing from her soon. Exactly what sort of discussions the two sides had, what kind of language, diplomatic language, the two were able to come up with in order for this quite surprising release to happen 13 days into the crisis.
HARRIS: And, Jim, we're just getting a little bit of breaking news here. Let me share this with you. I don't know that you can add to this at this point, but we're understanding that there was a question asked in this news conference that we understand is just wrapping up with Iranian president in which he indicated that his foreign ministry, Iran's foreign ministry, had received a letter from the British government indicating that further incursions into Iranian waters would not happen. That further incursions will not happen. I don't know that you have anything to add to that, but I just wanted to share that breaking bit of news with the audience watching us this morning.
BOULDEN: Well, Tony, I think that fits in with what we're been saying all along, Britain was never going to apologize. Britain was never going to admit that it was in Iranian waters. What it was going to do is quite possibly discuss the future, not look at the past, not look at what happened 13 days ago, but discuss what they could do in the future to make sure it doesn't happen again. One of the issues has been exactly where the border is in the waters between Iran and Iraq, and maybe they'll use satellite, they'll use mapping technology and the two sides can come to agreements on exactly where that line is so that this doesn't happen again.
Tony.
HARRIS: Well, that's interesting, Jim. There will be many who will suggest that is -- that kind of language, we have to get that confirmed, obviously, but these we're talking about comments from the Iranian president. Some will suggest that that kind of language from the British government is, in fact, a de facto apology.
BOULDEN: Without using the word apology. Without saying apologize.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
BOULDEN: It will be interesting to see if that word "further incursions" is in there. But, of course. there was an incursion in 2004 and the British admitted to that and their sailors were held for just three days. So they could always say, well, we're talking about that.
HARRIS: Right. OK. CNN's Jim Boulden for us following the story, gaging reaction from number 10 Downing Street for us in London.
Jim, thank you.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: So President Bush, while he travels to California, has been saying that he welcomes the news. Now we're going to find out what others in the Middle Eastern community have to say about that. Our Aneesh Raman is in Amman, Jordan.
You've spent a lot of time in Iran. Give us an idea of what kind of reaction this news is getting.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, there will be a great sigh of relief in this part of the world that this standoff has come to a resolution in this sort of manner. It did come as a bit of a surprise given that the news about the presidential pardon came some 45 minutes into this press conference and given that it came from Iran's president, who up until now really had not been put in charge of finding a solution.
It does seem, though, over the past few days, Iran and Britain were able to find language -- and we're getting as Tony read -- a sense of what that language will be. A face-saving measure, if you will, for both sides, where the British government will say, it will not enter Iranian waters without admitting or apologizing for having done so, and Iran's government can then take that language to its hard-liners within the country and say, look, this is a tacit apology.
If we look at the trajectory in terms of how this crisis has unfolded, from the start, Iran was keen for this to be resolved between Tehran and London. At the beginning, especially after that videotape was released by the Iranian government, in anger, the British government brought about the international pressure through the E.U., through the U.N., through neighbors of Iran, putting countries in this region in a position they weren't hugely comfortable being in, right in the cross-hairs between Iran and London. That angered Iran. The release that was speculated of the female sailor was taken off the table and Iran really bolstered its resolve.
In the past few days, the rhetoric has toned down. The two countries in back channels have been talking diplomatically and it seems that that has brought about this resolution. Iran clearly, its president, doing what he's done before, intent on looking like the bigger person, saying the release was for humanitarian reasons, coinciding with the Easter holiday and the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, showing that Iran and their position has given the bigger, if you will, stance in this standoff that existed.
Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Aneesh Raman, thanks so much from Amman.
Tony.
HARRIS: OK. Right now let's get you to Tehran and on the line with us is CNN producer Shirzad Bozorgmehr, who was in the room for the news conference this morning.
Shirzad, we've been discussing what the president has been talking about. Fill us in on anything that we might have missed while we've been discussing these developments.
SHIRZAD BOZORGMEHR, JOURNALIST: Well, they basically rejected all notions of the swap between the British sailors and the Iranians who are being held by the American forces in Iraq. And he said that this was clearly on a humanitarian basis and because we, you know, basically do not want young British soldiers who have joined the army to make a living and who have been arrested here to be, you know, for them -- their imprisonment to be prolonged them because also coincides with the week where the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad is in this week and also the Jewish Passover, I think you mentioned, as well as Easter. So he said, in honor of all of those events, Iran has decided to release the sailors and marines.
HARRIS: Yes. Shirzad, let's get to it. What did the Iranian president say about receiving a letter to his foreign ministry from the British government?
BOZORGMEHR: He did mention that Iran, I think he said yesterday, had received a letter from the British government in which they have said that such incidents would not happen again in the future. And he said that that did really help towards the release as well.
HARRIS: Did he portray this as an apology from Great Britain?
BOZORGMEHR: No. No. He just went over it quickly and he was not in the mood to discuss the details. He was not in the mood to discuss the swap at all. Anything. You know, the tit for tat or the quid pro quo at all. He just insisted that it was because of humanitarian reasons and because Iran is a peace-loving country and humane society that they decided to release the sailors. HARRIS: Any more information -- let me read to you just a bit of the statement from Prime Minister Tony Blair's office. And maybe you can bring some clarity to this. "We welcome what the president has said about the release of our 15 personnel. We are now establishing exactly what this means in terms of the method and timing of their release." Was there any more detail as to the method and timing of the release of the sailors and marines?
BOZORGMEHR: No. As Aneesh said, and I repeated, that because of religious reasons, because of these events, anniversaries, and said because we never intended to hold to long any way, that was part of what he said as well. And he avoided any discussions on, as I said, on an exchange for Iranian prisoners or anything like that. He just said that is not the case and he just went to other subjects.
HARRIS: One last -- just to put a fine point on this, we don't know at this moment, Shirzad, when we might see the actual release of the sailors and marines.
BOZORGMEHR: No. That was not mentioned.
HARRIS: OK.
BOZORGMEHR: He said, we will free them, which I assume will be in the next day or so.
HARRIS: OK. CNN producer Shirzad Bozorgmehr with us on the line. He was in the room for the news conference in Tehran.
WHITFIELD: In the meantime, Tony, we continue to monitor the news conference still underway in Tehran. And we're watching the Iranian television stations there to get an idea of when these 15 British marines and sailors might be released because it was our understanding, according to the president, that they would be released following the press conference. So we continue to monitor those developments.
Meantime, so how would those British marines and sailors be transported back home? How would they be reunited with their families as the president put it? Well, we understand that they'll be handed over to the British embassy there in Tehran, and then it will be up to the British foreign office on exactly how they would be returned home. Whether they would get back on perhaps one of the ships in the Persian Gulf or if they'd get on a plane, et cetera. All that still to be worked out. And, of course, when we get that information, we'll be able to bring that to you and we'll be able to bring you the release of the marines and sailors live.
HARRIS: Yes, which is the picture you want to see.
WHITFIELD: So you want to keep it right here on CNN.
Tony.
HARRIS: And, Fred, right now let's get everyone back to our chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, joining us again from London.
Christiane, thanks for your time again this morning and your help in putting this story into greater context for us.
We are receiving word of a letter. We are trying to figure out the negotiations and what was going on, the back channels and what was going, the to-ing and fro-ing in all of this. We're understanding that there was a letter that was received by Iran's foreign ministry, a letter from the British government, indicating that there will be no further incursions like this, that it will not happen again. So that gives us a bit of information as to kind of the diplomatic language that was going on back and forth.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, it's not even back channels. Britain and Iran have direct bilateral relations. There's an ambassador there. An embassy likewise here in England. They have bilateral relations.
But certainly the letter was being talked about as people tried to figure out what would be the modalities of resolving this diplomatically. That there would have to be some kind of language by the British saying, promising, pledging, that they would not seek any aggression or any ingress, if you like, into Iranian territorial waters, but that there would not be an apology. And it certainly seems that there has been no apology, but that there is probably language that says that we won't do it again or we won't do it in the future, more to the point.
The Iranian president, in his press conference, basically acknowledged that there wouldn't be an apology. He said that we, the Iranian government, regret that the British government is "not brave enough to admit its mistake in coming into our waters." So that's about as far as he went on that.
And the rest he said was a gift to the British people, that they would be pardoned and amnestied. And he went on to hope that the government of Prime Minister Blair would "not question these people when they got home and not put them on trial for speaking the truth." In other words, that the Iranian government is taking the "confessions" as evidence that the British marines strayed into Iranian territorial waters.
The fact is, for the future, these territorial waters are disputed and there must be, and it's already been acknowledged, some kind of way of coming up with a mutually agreed set of lines and coordinates as to where the actual line is.
HARRIS: Christiane, we have this view of the Iranian president, of him being the one who is always willing to ratchet up the rhetoric. Are you at all surprised, and maybe put this into context for our viewers for just a moment, are you surprised that the Iranian president isn't making more of this from a PR standpoint? That he is playing this as a good will gesture, that there is this letter that we're talking about, and he is not offering this up as evidence of an apology from the British. AMANPOUR: No, I think it's very interesting. You know, the Iranian president has not been front and center at all in this until today when he was, obviously, allowed to announce it and pull that incredible piece of global theater when he brought up the head of the Iranian navy and the officers there and presented them with a presidential medal of courage for, what he said, protecting Iranian borders and arresting those marines.
But the negotiations appear to have been going on through different channels, not with the president, but with Ali Larijani, who is more affiliated with Ayatollah Khameni, the actual leader of Iran, and who is the head of the supreme national security agency and who also is the chief nuclear negotiator. So I think that, you know, the real substantive meat of the negotiations were going on between a British official and Ali Larijani. And, you know, the press conference was delayed from yesterday, a full 24 hours, and they basically said that it could be announced at this press conference.
HARRIS: You know, and one final question. I shouldn't do this because we're running so long, but I'm just curious. On the point you just made, who do you believe ultimately made the final call -- if the Iranian president may have been out of the loop for much of this -- the decision to grant this amnesty? Was it a decision taken by Iran's supreme leader?
AMANPOUR: There is nobody else who could make that decision. All the key decisions in Iran are made by the supreme leader, through his channels, and this particular channel was Ali Larijani. That's a fact. That's a known fact, that the president, yes, he's elected by the people, yes, he has some internal power vis-a-vis the economy and other such things, but on major issues of international relations, foreign policy, defense policy, it is the supreme leader Ayatollah Khameni.
HARRIS: CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour.
Christiane, again, thank you for your time and your help in bringing context to this story for us. Appreciate it.
WHITFIELD: So Iran's president stunning announcement, captive British troops can go home. We'll have the latest straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
And Democrat in Damascus. President Bush says the House speaker is sending the wrong message. Syria sit down, in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And once again we just want to give you a reset on the breaking news this morning that broke here in the NEWSROOM in the last hour or so. Maybe an hour and a half now. The news that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is granting amnesty to the 15 British sailors and marines who have been held in Tehran for nearly two weeks now. We are starting to get some reaction in. Early reaction to this news from Prime Minister Tony Blair's office. "We welcome what the president has said about the release of our 15 personnel. We are now establishing exactly what this means in terms of the method and timing of their release."
We also heard from the Iranian president that there is no link between this release and the five Iranians being held right now in Iraq. So there is no apparent linkage there, at least not being claimed by the Iranian president.
We are following reaction on a number of fronts. Obviously from the White House, we're waiting for reaction from the president, who is on his way to California right now.
We are also expecting in the next hour, say, oh, hour and a half, 90 minutes, to hear from the British foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, on this as well.
And on the ground, Jim Boulden for us monitoring reaction from number 10 Downing Street. And in Amman, Jordan, CNN's Aneesh Raman. So we will continue to follow developments on this story throughout the morning here in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: And still in the neighborhood, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi heading to Saudi Arabia now after a stop in Syria. In Damascus, the California Democrat sat down for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Pelosi says she told the Syrian leader the United States is worried about foreign fighters entering Iraq from Syria. She also says she expressed concern about Syria's connection to Hamas and Hezbollah.
Pelosi's trip drawing strong criticism from President Bush. He says it sends mixed signals. The Bush administration accuses Syria of supporting terror groups.
Syria considered a key part of a volatile mix in the Middle East. The Bush administration accuses the country of supporting terror groups. That charge denied by Damascus. Well, here's a fact check now on U.S.-Syrian relations from CNN's Don Lemon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Syria has been on the State Department's list of terror sponsoring nations since the list was created in 1979. Washington has long accused Syria of giving military and financial support to anti-Israel groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Syria says it does provide money to these groups, but denies providing them with weapons.
When former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was assassinated in 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the presence of Syrian forces in Lebanon was at least partly to blame. President Bush immediately demanded that Syria withdraw its 15,000 troops from Lebanon. While denying any involvement in Hariri's murder, Syrian President Bashar Assad did eventually pull his troops out of Lebanon.
Another very sore point, the war between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon last year. Both Washington and Israel accuse Syria of arming and funding Hezbollah in the conflict.
As for the war in Iraq, the Bush administration charges that Syria allows insurgents to cross its borders and attack targets in Iraq. Syria denies the allegation.
Surprisingly, there are a few examples of cooperation. Syria joined the U.S.-led coalition in the Persian Gulf War. After 9/11, Syrian President Assad pledged support in the fight against al Qaeda in a letter to President Bush.
One of the key figures in a 9/11 attacks, Mohammed Hater Sumar (ph), was interrogated in Syria with U.S. knowledge. Last month in Baghdad, U.S. officials sat at the same room with Syrian officials at a regional meeting on finding ways to end the war. American officials said only that Syria did not respond directly to U.S. concerns.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And, once again, we are following today's top story, Iran's president's stunning announcement, captive British troops can go home. The very latest right here in the NEWSROOM.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Is your accountant making you nervous? We'll tell you what you need to know to avoid bogus tax preparers. That's coming up next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Some pretty remarkable images. Right now you're watching live President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that in Tehran apparently interviewing and talking with the British sailors and marines. Let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of compulsory trip (ph) do you want?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I wouldn't (INAUDIBLE) that, but you could call it that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope you success.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm fine, thanks. Thank you very much for these (ph) (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because they are birthday of the great prophet of Islam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I appreciate everything. Your people have been very kind to us and I appreciate that very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have success and be successful. WHITFIELD: So it was just a few days ago that Iran took a lot of heat from Great Britain for parading their marines and sailors before television cameras as they stood before maps pointing out exactly where they were, apparently in Iranian waters. Now it's likely that there might be some relief and perhaps quite a bit of happiness from Great Britain to see that their sailors there are meeting with the president on their exit from the country. We're still not clear exactly how those 15 British marines and sailors will be making their way to Great Britain, but we got a general idea that they would be turned over to the British embassy and then from there the foreign ministry would then take measures to get them out of the country. So those are new images.
And, you know what, I think we're going to replay some of those images now and we'll get a better sense of exactly what kind of exchange took place verbally between those marine, sailors and the president of Iran. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope you success.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good luck (INAUDIBLE). Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's nice to meet you. It's an honor.
(INAUDIBLE) my whole team, we're very grateful for your forgiveness. I would like to thank you yourself and the Iranian people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have a good luck, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) stand here. (INAUDIBLE), please. Just a little bit closer, please. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm fine, thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what kind of compulsory trip do you want?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I wouldn't (INAUDIBLE) that, but you could call it that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope you success.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm fine, thanks. Thank you very much for these (ph) (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because they are birthday of the great prophet of Islam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I appreciate everything. Your people have been very kind to us and I appreciate that very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have success and be successful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, once again, you're looking at those images that have crossed Iranian television of the president of Iran meeting with the 15 British marines and sailors. We saw a couple of them in their meeting. The president saying that this was a gift on this Easter holiday weekend. That they'll be able to be returned to their families. And you heard one of the sailors/marines say that they were grateful for the forgiveness. All right. And so momentarily we'll be hearing a little bit more about the actual return of those marines and sailors back to their homeland of Great Britain.
Meantime, on the ground there in Tehran is CNN producer Shirzad Bozorgmehr. We'll be listening from him momentarily, as well as Aneesh Raman, who often covers Iran. He's in Jordan. We'll be touching base with him as well.
More of the NEWSROOM right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So Fred, what do you say we just sort of recap this story and bring you the latest pictures they telling (ph).
WHITFIELD: A lot happened within the past couple hours.
HARRIS: Iran's president, first of all, making I see the pictures, making the stunning announcement this morning that he is granting amnesty to the 15 British sailors and marines held in Iran, called hostages by President Bush over the weekend. Those sailors and marines held for nearly two weeks.
Look at these pictures, these -- take a look at the optics of this moment here. Just a short time ago, the Iranian president at the conclusion of his press conference, talking now in these moments to the sailors and marines.
WHITFIELD: In tailored suits. No longer in their uniforms they were captured in.
HARRIS: In tailored suits. So clearly the announcement was going to be made. The sailors and marines happened to be nearby to provide this moment, once again trying to, in an attempt to reinforce this image of this being a good will gesture, just before Easter, the Iranian president saying that I will grant you --
WHITFIELD: Lots of smiles and laughter.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Very prominent here.
HARRIS: Just take a look at how the Iranian president is working this moment. We will continue to follow the developments on this fast breaking story in Tehran and in London.
And to bring us a little perspective on all of the events of the morning, CNN chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour had an opportunity to talk to her just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CHIEF INTL. CORRESPONDENT: This is obviously great news but it's also a word of caution to us. There we were breaking away from this press conference and we were saying that nothing dramatic had been said yet about the hostages, when just as we broke away from our conversation, I looked down and Iranian television is flashing the banner underneath saying that these 15 are going to be released. And it looks like that according to Iranian television, they are going to be released at the end of the press conference currently under way.
President Ahmadinejad saying this is a gesture to the British people. Now, significantly, we know that there have been these bilateral negotiations between Iran and Britain over the last at least 24 hours, perhaps more. We also know that President Ahmadinejad is not expecting to get an apology from the British because he has said, "The Iranian government is sorry the British government is not brave enough to confess its mistake over entering Iranian waters."
So perhaps what we're going to see from the British is, as we mentioned before, a pledge not to do that in the future and to be very careful of that rather difficult border there on that waterway. But very interestingly, this is what was the culmination after 45 minutes of his press conference, after that incredible piece of public theater that we witnessed and we spoke about a few minutes ago with President Ahmadinejad giving the presidential medal of courage to the Navy people who, "protected Iran's borders and arrested those sailors."
And I think also it's important to note, Iran, and you noted what he was doing, he was spending a lot of time talking about God and religion. But don't forget it's Easter coming up. And perhaps part of this timing was also for Easter. Big, big holiday in the Christian world, as you know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Now within the past hour we've seen images of the marines and sailors meeting with the president of Iran, and now we're understanding according to Reuters News Agency, that those marines and sailors will be taken to the airport there in Tehran tomorrow for their departure back to Great Britain.
Our Robin Oakley is outside 10 Downing Street there in London. This has to be of course welcome news to see these British sailors and marines now all dressed up and ready to go. But Robin, just a few days ago we know that Great Britain didn't like the idea of these servicemen being paraded in front of cameras. Today maybe they like it.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, to have them paraded in these circumstances I think yes. The constant refrain from Tony Blair and Margaret Beckett and other members of the British government has been they want the men and one woman home safe and sound. That has been their paramount concern all through this. They are now achieving that result.
It has obviously come as a big surprise to the British government because they weren't prepared with any statement themselves. This is not the result of some deal that had been concluded, clearly not. This has been decided by the Iranians at this point, that President Ahmadinejad calling it a gift to Britain, at Easter time. But the British last night were counseling caution, Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary saying well don't expect results too quickly. Tony Blair saying yesterday, look, we need to get some progress within the next 48 hours or we're going to have to talk about changing our tactics again.
So, a surprise, Fredricka, but obviously a very welcome surprise and Downing Street saying that they want to check the manner and timing of this, but of course they welcome the news -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: A surprise, Robin, but clearly Miss Beckett and others there in London had been a little bit more conciliatory over the weekend, kind of softening their tone. Perhaps this is the payoff from that?
OAKLEY: Yes. I think there had been several phases to this. First of all, the British played it quietly and diplomatically hoping to get results. Then they didn't seem to be getting much response from Iran over that and there was the exchange with both sides claiming that these things had happened in Iranian waters or in Iraqi waters so Britain then wrapped it up, took it to the U.N. Security Council, tried to get them to deplore the Iranian action, certainly got some support from the U.N., took it to the European Union and got unconditional support from the European Union.
But that was badly resented by Iran which hit back and said no, look, this is a bilateral matter between the two countries and we noticed President Ahmadinejad today very resentful of the U.N. Security council and the E.U. As he put it, taking sides without looking at the Iranian side of the evidence. So that wasn't working for Britain. It was back to quiet diplomatic exchanges.
And when we heard last night that Dr. Ali Larijani, the head of the National Security Council in Iran and Nigel Sheinwald here from Number 10 Downing Street, the prime minister's foreign affairs adviser were the people doing the talking, then that was clearly a sign that things were moving forward but nobody expected them to move forward as fast as they have done -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So you have to wonder how this might impact future relations now which have always been a little dicey between Great Britain and Iran. And just a few days ago we were hearing from people who were calling for the expulsion of the British ambassador there in Iran. How might this either improve relations or perhaps make it that much more tenuous?
OAKLEY: Well, relations are a little bit dicey, as you say. But of course, Britain has always had diplomatic relations with Tehran, unlike the United States which broke off diplomatic relations of course. Britain's diplomatic exchanges have continued. This won't (ph) have helped and the two sides are going to have to talk about future arrangements in disputed territorial waters. Come to some kind of arrangement to make sure that it doesn't happen again.
Britain also one of the three E.U. countries in the lead on the uranium enrichment program, working very closely with the United States in terms of getting U.N. sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment program so yes of course, relations are pretty fraught between London and Tehran but there are still diplomatic exchanges that go on and Margaret Beckett's suspension of all other business apart from the negotiations over the captives will presumably now come to an end and things will start to edge back in a better direction -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Robin Oakley, thanks so much from London.
HARRIS: And again, the initial reaction from Prime Minister Tony Blair's office: we welcome what the president of Iran has said about the release of our 15 personnel. We are now establishing exactly what this means in terms of the method and timing of their release and Fred, you mentioned just a moment ago that the Reuters News Service is reporting that the sailors and marines will leave Tehran Airport tomorrow.
We will connect again with our Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour, she is in London. And get the very latest on this fast-moving, fast-developing story this morning.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis. Is your accountant making you nervous? We'll tell you what you need to know to avoid bogus tax preparers. That's coming up next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MARKET REPORT)
HARRIS: And let's talk about tax trouble. The government alleges fraudulent tax preparation at Jackson Hewitt retail stores. The targeted offices are in Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit and Raleigh- Durham. The Justice Department is trying to shutdown 125 franchises, but no action is expected before the end of the current tax season. Federal officials estimate fraudulent returns have cost the government more than $70 million.
So how can you avoid tax trouble? Our Gerri Willis is here with tips some for you. Gerri, you think you hear the commercials, you watch them on television, you think you would going to an operation that is reputable, and now we know that may not always be the case.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've got to tell you, Tony, anybody can put out a shingle and say they are a tax preparer.
HARRIS: Really?
WILLIS: There is no federal agency that regulates the professionals, the tax-prep professionals. Basically anybody can do it. It's difficult for consumers to get the credentials and audit records for tax preparers. Right now Congress is trying to get the IRS to certify people who prepare taxes, but so far it hasn't happened. So, this morning, if you're worried about your taxes, check your local Better Business Bureau to see if there are complaints on your accountant, or call the state board of accountancy and get the phone number at the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy at NASBA.org. Check them out.
HARRIS: Very good. What about red flags? So you decide you're going to go, you're going to check them out. What kinds of red flags in the reporting should you be watching?
WILLIS: If you sign that tax return, you're responsible for everything in it. It's up to you to get it right. You've got to make sure you're comfortable with your tax preparer. Here are some red flags you want to watch for. Be careful with preparers who claim they can obtain a larger refund than other tax preparers. Or, ones who base their fee on a percentage of the amount of the refund. That's a big problem.
Now, if your preparer doesn't ask to see your receipts, hey, watch out. And if they don't ask you questions about your money life -- are you working part-time? Do you have a freelance business in addition? You need them to know exactly what's going on in your money life, Tony.
HARRIS: How do you go about -- and I don't know that I thought about it in these terms, interviewing, talking to, kind of the questions that you ask? Should you actually think of yourself as being someone who interviews your tax preparer?
Absolutely. When you're hiring a tax preparer, you want to sit down with them, interview them, like you would a doctor or dentist, to make sure that they;re prepared to take on your job. You also want to find out if the preparer is affiliated with a professional organization. That can be a plus. And ask if they're taking continuing ed classes. Always a good idea, because tax law changes all the time. And the dirty little secret of tax preparation and audits, you want to know if they've been audited or their clients have been audited, because that's how the IRS figures out the next folks to be audited.
HARRIS: Very good.
WILLIS: You get that I'm saying?
HARRIS: Yes. I am totally with you. WILLIS: So you got to ask questions, you got to find their customers, talk to them, interview their clients. And of course if you have any questions send them to us at toptips@CNN.com. We answer them right here every Friday, and we'd love to hear from you.
HARRIS: Well, I'm just happy we were able to get you in and see you on television this morning with all of the breaking news.
Great to see you, Gerri.
WILLIS: Good to see you, Tony. Have a great day.
HARRIS: You, too.
WILLIS: And that breaking news, that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Iran says those 15 British Marines and sailors can go home. Moments ago, you saw face-to-face meetings between those sailors and the president. We're going to have more of that and more of the exchanges between them when we come right back.
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HARRIS: You want to see a picture of a man making the most of a public relations moment? Let's show everyone at home these pictures again. A short time ago into the NEWSROOM we've been monitoring Iranian television this morning and we captured these images of Iran's president a short time ago, meeting with the Marines, the 15 British Sailors and Marines held for nearly two weeks. Let's listen in for a moment.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have a good luck, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little closer, please. How are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm fine, thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of compulsory trip do you want?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could call it that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope you success.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: All right. What kind of compulsory trip?
WHITFIELD: Well, he answered it right, didn't he?
HARRIS: He really did.
WHITFIELD: We wouldn't call that the but you can call it that. HARRIS: Great response. Countering that little jab there, that attempt at, well, whatever. Those pictures a short time ago in to the CNN NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: And you talk about P.R., the president saying have a good life.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
WHITFIELD: Hope you success. Very positive exchange.
HARRIS: Milking the moment.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Interesting stuff. We look forward to their release, again, Reuters is reporting that these Marines and Sailors will be heading to the airport tomorrow.
HARRIS: That's great news.
WHITFIELD: Perhaps the start of their journey home.
Alright. Well, Iran and the U.K., two nations, one pretty uneasy history linked by oil. CNN's Diana Magnay (ph) reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A telegram in B.P.'s archives dated May, 1908. The moment of truth for British entrepreneur William Darcy. His team in Persia has struck oil just when they were about to give up. Darcy is about to become a very rich man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first British well was drilled in 1908.
MAGNAY: Darcy's discovery came just as the British decided to switch their Navy from coal power to oil. The British government quickly bought up Darcy's concession which was eventually to become British Petroleum.
MANOUCHEHR TAKIN, CENTER FOR GLOBAL ENERGY STUDIES: Really acted as an arm of the Foreign Service Department, like an arm of the intelligence services, the companies influence the local politicians and the central capital, changing ministers, prime ministers and so on.
MAGNAY: In 1951, the Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh decided it was time for Iran to get more than the bare minimum from its oil. With the backing of the United Nations, he nationalized Iran's oil industry.
MEHDI VARSI, VARSI ENERGY: Just to show you what power Britain had at that time, Britain, when Mossadegh nationalized the oil industry, Britain actually got the world to embargo Iranian oil, although this oil was Iranian oil. It belonged to Iran! If today, President Chavez of Venezuela decides to nationalize its oil industry, no outside power is going to go and embargo Venzuelan oil. MAGNAY: Two years later Mossadegh was ousted in a violent coup directed by the British and American secret services. Iran's oil concessions were divided up between a consortium of foreign companies and the Shah was returned to power. The stage was set for the revolution of 1979.
VARSI: The revolution and the way the revolution was depicted was that Iran was finally, after centuries, going to gain or regain its true independence. So, in the sense you can say that the revolution was supported by the vast majority of Iranians although of course, I have to add, nobody imagined that the situation would be as it is today.
MAGNAY: Earlier this week, Iranian students held violent protests outside the British embassy in Tehran, the assumption certainly amongst this crowd that the detained British Marines were trespassing in Iranian waters. After what they see as more than a century of interference in their affairs, it's no surprise that the Iranians naturally default to a position of deep suspicion towards all things British. Diana Magnay, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: We want to try to work in some other news for you this morning. Some political ups and downs to tell you about. A new presidential poll numbers from New Hampshire. Senator Hillary Clinton's lead among Democrats is slipping. Clinton is still out front. And the CNN WMUR TV poll with 27 percent but she dropped eight points in a month. John Edwards has picked up five percentage points, pulling into a virtual tie for second with Senator Barack Obama. Obama and Edwards campaigned in Iowa today. Still a long race ahead. The Iowa caucuses are set for January 14, New Hampshire's first in the nation primary, is expected a few days later.
WHITFIELD: Elizabeth Edwards, well she says she has encouraging news in her fight against cancer. Edwards revealed last month that her breast cancer had returned in her bone. But she says doctors are now telling her that its the type that is more likely to be controlled by an anti-estrogen drug. Edwards says she is frustrated by reports about her life expectancy. In an Associated Press interview she says she'd fight even if she was told she had just 15 minutes of life. The wife of Presidential Candidate John Edwards made the comments while on the campaign trail in Iowa.
HARRIS: And still ahead this morning in the CNN NEWSROOM, Iran's president's stunning announcement. Captive British troops can go home. The latest coming up in the NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: At the top of the hour, good morning to you again. Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: We talk about it all the time. Unfolding developments in the NEWSROOM. It keeps happening, we keep bringing it to you. Here's the latest. Setting the captives free in a surprise move. Iran frees 15 British ...
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