Ahmadinejad, Bolton Both Rip Brits Over Standoff

March 31, 2007 — -- A former American diplomat has told ABC News that Britain's low-key approach to trying to resolve the boat crisis with Iran amounts to a show of weakness that could hurt western efforts to limit Iran's nuclear weapons program.

"I think, ironically, the softly softly approach of the British foreign office simply convinces the Iranians that's all there is to it," John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told ABC News. "I think it will have a negative effect on the European efforts to negotiate on the nuclear weapons side."

Added Bolton, who currently hold no public office, "I think that the Iranians have to believe that force is an option. I think we need to have that ever present in their thinking. Because if they conclude that they are free from the use of force in a case of hostage taking, they may well conclude that they are free from the use of force against their nuclear weapons program."

But in London, Middle East analyst Rosemary Hollis, of Royal Institute of International Affairs, told ABC News that while the British response may conflict with the American approach, it is tried and tested.

"It is a British tradition of diplomacy, which is about literally relishing the complexity of the situation and finding what is achievable without having to behave like a cowboy," she said.

There have been conflicting interpretations of the latest set of statements by both sides in the conflict between Britain and Iran over the detention of the 15 British sailors and Marines who are now into their second week of captivity.

Iran seized the naval personnel in the northern Persian Gulf on March 23 when they were on a U.N.-backed mission searching for smugglers. Tehran said they strayed into Iranian waters, but Britain insists they were well in Iraqi territory.

British, Iranian Leaders Exchange Words

On one side today, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said, "Things have gone a little quieter and so we hope that is a good sign and people are thinking fresh, 'What is the way out of this situation?'"

But in Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that London had mishandled the aftermath of the detention of British naval personnel in the Gulf. The Iranian leader seemed to be showing his displeasure that Britain had turned to the Security Council and the European Union for support over the detentions.

"After the arrest of these people, the British government, instead of apologizing and expressing regret over the action taken, started to claim that we are in their debt and shouted in different international councils," Ahmadinejad said.

In other developments, Iran's ambassador to Moscow said the 15 Britons captured eight days ago could face punishment if found guilty of illegally entering the Islamic Republic's territorial waters. But only hours later, the Iranian State News Agency seemed to back away from those reports, blaming them on a faulty translation.

Former U.S. Ambassador Bolton told ABC News, "I would favor the use of force to extract the hostages, I don't think we're at that point yet."

He added, "If [Iran] thinks they are immune from the use of force they will behave accordingly. Weakness is provocative."

But Middle East analyst Rosemary Hollis told ABC News, "The Americans have surely learned that, A, you need allies, and, B, force doesn't solve everything."

For the moment, at least, the British government seems to agree.