"Brutal" Iranians videotape military captives

Shades of Abu Ghraib!

Look, Iran is hardly a social-democratic paradise, and I reckon their miltary's kidnapping (not, I am pretty sure, "capture") of those British sailors and marines was for some sort of political statement, whether ill-advised or not.

But now they have broadcast a video of the kidnappees. And so out comes the appeal to standards of the Geneva Convention:

Before the video was broadcast, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair said any showing of British personnel on TV would be a breach of the Geneva Conventions.

"It's completely unacceptable for these pictures to be shown on television," the British Foreign Office said in a statement after the broadcast. "There is no doubt our personnel were seized in Iraqi territorial waters."

(Ignore the non sequitir from the Foreign Office for now.) Remember when we were told how "antiquated" those Geneva Conventions were? (Here, for example. I seem to recall that being an Abu Gonzales characterization, as well.) So long as we're straight:

• waterboarding by us-- what Geneva Conventions?
• videotapes showing non-physically-mistreated prisoners by Iran-- bring on Nuremburg!

No, the Iranians are not in the right. But Tony the poodle should be talking to his leash-holder abut far more serious "breaches" and "complete unacceptabilities."