LONDON, April 7 (IranMania) - Iran exerted "psychological pressure" on 15 British naval personnel it held for 13 days, a top British officer said as he defended the group's actions and an inquiry began into their capture, AFP reported.
As some of the 14 men and one woman prepared to make their first public comments since their emotional return to Britain Thursday, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band praised their bravery and dignity during their detention.
But he rejected suggestions that they should not have made "confessions" to their Iranian captors for allegedly breaching the Islamic republic's territorial waters, and only have given their name, rank and serial number.
"They weren't on combat operations. They weren't like people shot down in Tornados in the (first) Persian Gulf War," said Band, who as First Sea Lord is head of the Royal Navy.
"I don't think there is any doubt from the statements some of them made, and certainly the letters, that they were under a certain element of psychological pressure.
"I think you will find out that they were actually a brave set of youngsters."
On Thursday, Royal Marines officer Lieutenant Colonel Andy Price claimed some of the group may have been left in solitary confinement during their detention, despite the 15's appearance together on Iranian television.
Meanwhile, the eight Royal Navy sailors and seven Royal Marines spent their first night of freedom at the Royal Marine Base Chivenor in Devon, southwest England, after being reunited with their families and friends.
They are being debriefed and undergoing medical examinations. Some of the group are due to address a news conference at 1500 GMT. In a joint statement released Thursday, the group said their ordeal had been "very difficult".
A military inquiry was under way to determine how they came to be captured as they conducted what Britain said were routine anti-smuggling operations near the Shatt al-Arab waterway dividing Iraq and Iran.
Band said the probe would look at the rules of engagement, intelligence gathering, equipment and procedures to prevent any repeat.
Until a complete review of the situation is complete, the Royal Navy has suspended all boarding operations in the area, he added.
One of the 15, Royal Marine Captain Chris Air, told Sky News television in an interview recorded a week before their detention that British crews did gather intelligence on Iranian activities in the Persian Gulf area.
In his BBC interview, Band dismissed suggestions that the 15 had surrendered too easily and that they should have fought back against their captors.
"I think our people have reacted extremely well in some very difficult circumstances," he said, adding that the decision to board and search a merchant ship that led to their seizure was "absolutely proper".
"I think they acted with considerable dignity and a lot of courage," he added.
The group's return made headline news Friday, but coverage was tempered by the deaths of four soldiers, including two women, in a roadside bomb attack in southern Iraq on Thursday.
The deaths bring the British death toll in Iraq in the last week to six and 140 since the start of the US-led invasion in March 2003.
Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday repeated his assertion that "elements" in Iran were backing insurgent attacks in Iraq, although it was too early to say whether there were definite links for the latest attack.
British newspapers highlighted similarities between explosive charges used by insurgents in southern Iraq and Iranian weapons.
The Sun tabloid said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has "our blood on his hands", claiming the bomb attack that killed the four soldiers was "almost certainly engineered" by the Iranian president.
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