Row over sailors selling their Iran stories
Updated on 08 April 2007
The Ministry of Defence allows Faye Turney and the other Iran captives to sell their stories but are they selling out their service?
They've settled on a price and this morning Sir Trevor MacDonald settled down with Faye Turney to hear her story.
The freed sailor, is reported to have made a six-figure deal with ITV's tonight with Trevor Macdonald and the Sun newspaper in exchange for an exclusive interview.
Some of the other detained servicemen are expected to sell their stories too. The Royal Marines involved have announced they'll be pooling any money they make, and donating ten per cent to charity.
Today one of them defended his colleague's decision to talk. But it's the MoD's decision to let them sell their stories that drawing the strongest criticism.
Leading Seaman Faye Turney, is expected to benefit most from the media frenzy. Newspaper reports suggest she could earn up to £150,000 for her TV and newspaper interviews.
The annual salary for a sailor of her rank is around £26,500.
Some have also contrasted the value of would be deals to payments made to troops injured while serving. The loss of a leg for example would result in around £115,000 compensation from the MoD.
"These are people who are being paid a lot of money for just doing their job... There are a lot of people out there doing dangerous jobs who don't get recognised."- Royal Marine statement
It's in stark contrast to the case of eight marines and sailors captured by Iran in 2004. Also paraded on TV, then released but little heard of since.
Today Channel Four News spoke to one of the former captives on conidtion of anonymity, who told us:
"These are people who are being paid a lot of money for just doing their job... There are a lot of people out there doing dangerous jobs who don't get recognised."
"We were put straight back to work within 3 days... We certainly didn't do anything in front of the cameras." - Royal Marine statement
Ministry of Defence rules forbid servicemen from speaking to the media without permission from the chain of command. Taking payment for stories is prohibited - unless, they say, the circumstances are exceptional. So just why have they chosen to apply that rule here?
First, they say, is the intense media interest surrounding the story. Similar concessions were made for Private Johnson Beharry awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery in 2005.
Second, that their stories would have got out regardless, and given the 'strategic sensitivity' of the case permission to speak would allow the MoD to "have sight" of what the service personnel were going to say.
The MoD must now wait to see if these interviews bring an embarrassing episode to a close -or instead make it worse.
