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GUEST: Reese Erlich, author of the upcoming book, “The Iran Agenda: The Truth Behind US Policy and the Middle East Crisis; ” his latest article on Iran, called “Brad Pitt and the Girl Guerrillas,” appears in Mother Jones Magazine

Britain said today it would seek help from the United Nations against Iran in the dispute over the recent detention of 15 British Naval personnel. The Iranians are claiming that they were captured in Iranian waters, while the British military had earlier released what it called proof that its boats were in the territorial waters of Iraq, not Iran. Yesterday Iranian state TV showed a video of the sailors and marines being captured – a move loudly denounced by the British government. One of the sailors was shown saying, “Obviously we trespassed into their [Iranian] waters.” Britain has decided to freeze business with Tehran. Meanwhile, for the first time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the US began holding naval exercises in the Gulf. International markets experienced a jolt fueled by rumors of a clash between Iran and the U.S. Navy. Amid months of indications that the US was preparing to invade Iran, could this incident escalate into a full scale conflict?

Reese Erlich’s article in Mother Jones is available at: http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/2007/03/brad_pitt_and_the_girl_guerrillas.html