Navy story sale unacceptable: MPs

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The Commons Defence Committee said that there had been "a catalogue of serious mistakes" which led to the 15 sailors and Royal Marines being given the go-ahead to sell their stories.

The resulting publicity was "deeply damaging to the reputation of the Royal Navy", the committee said, following an incident which it described as a "national embarrassment".

The Royal Navy team was held for 13 days last spring after being seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guards following a routine boarding operation in the Gulf off Iraq, only to be released in a fanfare of publicity by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The decision to allow them to sell their stories only compounded the embarrassment of what was seen by many as a national humiliation.

Sailor Arthur Bachelor was widely ridiculed when he admitted that he had cried himself to sleep after the Iranians took his iPod and called him Mr Bean.

An inquiry by former BBC director of news Tony Hall into the media handling of the crisis concluded that no one individual was responsible for the decision and blamed a "collective failure of judgment".

Defence Secretary Des Browne apologised to the House of Commons, but the committee said that this was not enough.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The independent report by Tony Hall looked very closely at whether an individual should be held accountable and concluded that it was a collective failure of judgment or an abstention of judgment rather than a failure of judgment by any one individual.

"The Secretary of State accepted corporate responsibility and apologised to the House."