Dear Martin
With regard to the updated map, the following fundamental question must
first be answered. How were the coordinates "... for the two positions that
the British government says were supplied by the Iranian government"
determined? That is, were the Iranians using GPS? If they were, then there
can only be one position. The HMS Cornwall boarding party were using GPS,
so the argument then becomes one of whose coordinates do you believe.
Obviously, the Iranians are not going to condemn themselves by supplying
coordinates, however obtained, showing the arrest location outside their
territorial claim as illustrated on your map.
Another question. What was the HMS Cornwall boarding party doing arresting
a vessel in an area so close to the loosely agreed Iran - Iraq maritime
boundary?
Regards
Brian Murphy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Pratt" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 4:27 AM
Subject: Re: [INT-BOUNDARIES] Iran-Iraq
Dear Colleagues,
Having acquired coordinates for the two positions that the British
government says were supplied by the Iranian government concerning the
arrest on 23 March, I have updated the notes and map at
http://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru/resources/iran-iraq. If anyone can supply
coordinates from an authoritative Iranian source for either Iran's
claimed boundary or the location of the vessel at the time of the
arrest, I will be happy to add such information to the page.
Regards,
m a r t i n
==============================
Martin Pratt
Director of Research
International Boundaries Research Unit
Department of Geography
Durham University
Durham DH1 3LE
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)191 334 1964
Fax: +44 (0)191 334 1962
[log in to unmask]
http://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru
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