Hostage Crisis Redux, Day 12

Iran is in no hurry to free hostages. As they finish out a second week in captivity, the "new developments" have a deja vu ring to them. A Guardian story reports hopefully that Foreign Minister Larajani is playing good cop/bad cop all on his own.

He gave some conciliatory signals in an interview with Channel Four News, saying the Iranian government was not interested in putting the detainees on trial, but warned that might change if Britain attempted to impose more international pressure on Tehran. "We are not interested in this issue getting more complicated," said Mr Larijani, the secretary-general of Iran's national security council.

Meanwhile, the Independent reports (link overwhelmed by Drudge; secondhand report here) that this is indeed retaliation for the U.S. seizure of Iranian diplomats. The new twist on this old story is that it isn't about the five junior diplomats/Republican Guardsmen, but two very senior officials who had been accompanying them, who the U.S. was really after.

All this is very heavy. For a lighter treatment of the crisis - and for a criticism of the captured sailors and marines that I've been too afraid to make publically - check out Scooter's Report over the past week or so. Hat tip on the link to Global Review reader Doug (pseudonym pending).