Britain bans sailors from 'selling' stories to media

LONDON: The British government reversed an earlier decision allowing some of the sailors taken captive by Iran to 'sell' their stories to the media, British Defence Minister Des Browne announced.

Stating that the original decision made on Saturday had not brought a satisfactory result, Browne on Monday said a review of the issue would take place before a final decision would be made.
 
The reversal comes after Faye Turney, the only woman among the 15 British naval personnel released by Iran after 13 days in captivity, gave her account in Monday's edition of the mass-circulation Sun newspaper.
 
"I was offered a hell of a lot of money for my story. I've not taken the biggest offer ... I want everyone out there to know my story from my side, see what I went through," she told ITV television.
 
The decision to allow the sailors to enjoy remuneration for their stories was the subject of continuing controversy.
 
Earlier on Monday, former conservative defence secretary Michael Heseltine said he was 'shocked' by Saturday's decision and called for an inquiry into how and why it was taken.
 
Major General Patrick Cordingly, who commanded British troops in the first Gulf War of 1991, said he was 'depressed' by the move, and suggested the government seemed to be 'manipulating this whole particular process' for propaganda. 

Strong criticism has also come from families of soldiers killed in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
The mother of 19-year-old Eleanor Dlugosz, a medic killed by a roadside bomb near Basra in Iraq, told the Times: "If you are a member of the military, you should do your duty and not expect to make money by selling stories."
 
Turney, defending her decision, said she was "not interested in making money out of this". A percentage of the six-figure sum she is believed to have negotiated will be given towards helping naval families.