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British Hostages: Freedom is Dream Come True


Fifteen British naval hostages, released by Iran on Thursday, have been celebrating their homecoming, as the United States lashed out at Iran for its behavior.

Speaking in Texas on Thursday, a senior White House official, National Security Council Spokesman, Gordon Johndroe said the release of the hostages does not indicate Tehran is moving into line with the international community, a reference to Tehran's controversial nuclear activities.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack said Iran has a pattern of hostage taking that goes back to the 1979 attack on the U.S. embassy in Tehran.

In Britain, the former hostages issued a statement calling their two week ordeal "very difficult." They gave no details.

Before their release, some of the captives were seen on video apologizing to Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Britain says the troops were in Iraq's waters, not Iran's.

Prime Minister Tony Blair says Britain gained freedom for the hostages without making any deals or apologies to Iran.

Mr. Blair said new and interesting lines of communication with Iran have opened. He said if Iran wants, it can have a different relationship with Britain.

U.S. officials say Washington was not involved in winning the release of the British hostages. However, the U.S. says it is considering giving Tehran access to five Iranians the U.S. is holding in Iraq.

The U.S. says the Iranians were involved in planning attacks on U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Iran says they are diplomats.

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