Blundering Boris Strikes Again.

[Gromit]

// Foreign Secretary’s [Boris Johnson] incorrect comments he made in Parliament led to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe being hauled in front of an Iranian court and told her sentence may be doubled to ten years.

Mr Johnson was due to call his Iranian counterpart on Tuesday to undo damage after telling a committee hearing that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked in Tehran teaching journalism before she was arrested and jailed for spreading propaganda - despite a central part of her defence being that she had never done so. //

What does Johnson have to do to get the sack ?

[mikey4444]

Complete pillock.

[ToraToraTora]

what's up gromit? Sales a bit slow in the Tibetan Peace Tea shop today?

[Baldric]

I suspect Boris knows where at least some of the bodies are buried.

[choux]

I was listening to Andy Hamilton Remembers on Radio 4 and he referred to Boris as the Mr Pastry tribute act ...

[DTCwordfan]

You can just see this happens - his florid English gets misunderstood by those whose first language is not English - he's bad enough in this country for this, never mind comprehension in a nation of Shiites looking for anything to stir the Persian casserole against the west.

[Togo]

When it is eventually shown to be the Iranian Judiciary(another oxymoron if ever there was)using a bit of spin on what was actually said to score brownie points, will you resign from AB? Of course deliberately misunderstanding and quoting is not unknown here on the bank.

//A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The Foreign Secretary expressed concern at the suggestion from the Iranian Judiciary High Council for Human Rights that that his remarks last week at the Foreign Affairs Committee “shed new light” on the case.
“The Foreign Secretary said this was absolutely not true and it was clear, as it always had been, that Miss Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been in Iran on holiday when arrested.
“The Foreign Secretary made clear that the point he had been seeking to make in his evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee was he condemned the Iranian view that training journalists was a crime not that he believed Iranian accusations that Miss ZR had been engaged in such activity.//

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/boris-johnson-admits-he-could-have-been-clearer-over-claim-nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-was-training-iranian-journalists/ar-AAuxzUO?li=BBoPWjQ

[jno]

so, what Boris meant to say:

"it was clear, as it always had been, that Miss Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been in Iran on holiday when arrested."

What Boris actually said:

"she was simply teaching people journalism"

Soooo close ... but no cigar.

[Togo]

Of course if one were to take into account the previous posts of some Abers, it is not difficult to discern the ones who revel in any situation that elevates "certain" regimes at the expense of Britain's interests. I am sure that some would be delighted to see this unfortunate woman incarcerated in a Muslim hell hole. If only to give them the opportunity to snipe, or bleat like goats.

[bednobs]

what an idiot

[EDDIE51]

Mrs May is under so much pressure she can't sack anyone.
She'd love to get rid of Boris as he is her biggest enemy , trying to get her out so that he can take over. But he has so many supporters who also want Mrs May gone, she can't make any move against him without triggering a leadership contest which she is certain to lose.

[jno]

Togo, I'd like to see her released. How's the foreign secretary doing so far?

[Old_Geezer]

I have no knowledge on why Johnson referred to her teaching people journalism, or who briefed him that, that was the case, or that it was ok to refer to; but since the charges against Nazanin are to do with propaganda against the regime and attempting to overthrow the Iranian government it's fairly clear that the two things have no connection. "Oh, look, there seems a difference of understanding what she was here for, we can use that." It seems to me that the Iranian authorities were looking for and happy to use any excuse to extend her sentence and had Johnson merely wished everyone his best wishes it'd have been used anyway. The further question is, what concession/favour is Iran hoping to achieve from the UK for opting not to extend the sentence after all. Do they think we have Trump's ear ?

[Gromit]

Togo
Inept Johnson might have got this woman’s sentenced double to 10 years.
If Johnson had read his notes properly he would have known she claimed to be just holidaying, and not plotting against the regime. The flaws in the Iranian judiciary can be discussed on another thread.
It is clear that Johnson put his foot in it by not reading his briefing papers before opening his gob. And his lack of detail on this occassion might result in a longer sentence. Seems fair to lambaste a Minister for doing his job badly.

[Togo]

//Johnson had told the Foreign Affairs committee: 'When I look at what Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing, she was simply teaching people journalism, as I understand it.
'[Neither] Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe nor her family has been informed about what crime she has actually committed. And that I find extraordinary, incredible.'
He is now facing calls to resign over the comment, but insisted his remarks have been taken out of context.
Mr Ratcliffe said his wife does not blame Johnson for her latest court ordeal and they were both pleased that the Foreign Secretary had spoken to his Iranian counterpart by phone to explain fully his remarks.
Johnson said his remarks 'could form no justifiable basis for further action' against Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe.//
//Her husband told the Evening Standard: 'She was obviously distraught about being taken back to court and bewildered about what caused that.
'She isn't sitting there blaming Boris, she knows it's the Iranians doing this, and what she is focused on now is him visiting her as soon as possible.'//
//The statement added that the Iranian Foreign Minister Mr Zarif told the foreign secretary that the developments in the case over the weekend 'were unrelated' to Mr Johnson's remarks.//

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian born "Britain" works for a British/Iranian "charity". Of course she had no idea that taking a "holiday" in her home Country could go horribly wrong now did she? But Gromit knows best. Haha

[jno]

a minute ago she was an unfortunate woman and now you're spraying quote marks around like confetti, Togo. Make up your mind. Innocent victim or superspy?

[douglas9401]

Well I for one can't wait until he leads this great nation and has the authority to launch nuclear weapons.

The guy's a complete and utter roaster with an over developed sense of his own importance and ability.

[jno]

douglas, May wouldn't even allow him to use water cannon when he was mayor of London. Putting him anywhere within reach of nuclear buttons could be a mistake.

[Togo]

// Make up your mind. Innocent victim or superspy? //

Whatever suits me at the time. Any objection? I can play "games" as well you know. I have a solution. Boris should offer, in exchange for her release and return to Britain, all the Muslim prisoners currently held in British prisons. Lower the prison population, allow prisoners to at last be somewhere that suits them, reduce our costs and reduce security risks as well, and the Iranians get a set of fanatics to set to work. Everyone wins, large ones all round.

[DTCwordfan]

and just let the back door of the Hercules 'accidentally' open, somewhere over the Med en route to Tehran, (and bomb a few Libyan immigrants in the water at the same time).

[emmie]

he should be doing his level best to get her out, not making it worse.