Britain:The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Royal Navy were accused of undermining the reputation of Britain's armed forces last night over the decision to allow the 15 sailors and marines held by Iran to sell their stories to the media.
The navy's move to suspend its usual rules - taken "as a result of exceptional media interest" and with the agreement of defence secretary Des Browne - was condemned by senior opposition politicians, former officers and the families of dead service personnel.
Faye Turney, the only woman in the crew, has agreed a joint deal with the Sunnewspaper and ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonaldfor close to £100,000 (€148,000).
Amid the complaints about the decision, fears were voiced that it has devalued the work of other serving forces and handed Iran a propaganda victory.
Critics said it was a politically inspired move, but the MoD argued that the families of the service personnel had already been offered large sums of money to tell their stories and, by allowing the former captives to speak, they were able to retain some control over the story. The announcement also risked diminishing sympathy for the 15, who had been nervous of reaction in Britain after they were seen on television in Tehran confessing to entering Iranian waters - a claim they retracted on their return.
Col Tim Collins, who commanded the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment in Iraq, said: "This episode has brought disgrace on the British armed forces and it comes from complete ineptitude at the top." He contrasted this case with the capture of 11 members of the Royal Irish Regiment in Sierra Leone.
"They were held hostage and there was a real chance that they would be killed before they were eventually rescued by the SAS. There was not so much as a peep out of any of them afterwards, no talk and certainly no mention of money - which is exactly the way it should be."
Mike Aston, whose 30-year-old son, Cpl Russell Aston, was one of six military policemen killed by a mob in Majar al-Kabir, Iraq, in June 2003, said he was "absolutely amazed" by the MoD's stance. "I think to actually sell [my] story it would besmirch my son's memory."
Ms Turney, whose salary as a leading seaman is about £23,535-£29,576, was interviewed by Trevor McDonald near Chippenham, Wiltshire, ahead of screening tonight. She gave a separate interview to the Sun. She was one of nine crew absent from a joint press conference held by six of the crew on Friday and agreed a deal with the Sunand ITV that day.
William Hague, the opposition Conservative party spokesman on foreign affairs, told Sky News's Sunday Live: "If, whenever people have been in a difficult situation, they are going to be allowed to sell their story quickly after that, then I think we are going to lose steadily that dignity and respect for our armed forces."
Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat leader, told BBC News 24: "I am very concerned about what those governments that were trying behind the scenes to get our personnel home are going to think. And there is, of course, the very understandable feeling of the families of those who have died in Iraq as to why it should be that those who have survived should - putting it bluntly - profit in this way."
The MoD, which pointed out that the decision was not unprecedented, said: "service personnel must seek permission from the chain of command before speaking to the media. Queen's regulations for the Royal Navy allow personnel to retain fees paid to them for broadcasting, lecturing or writing for publication under certain circumstances."