From
www.metro.co.uk
The 15 British service personnel held captive in Iran have been given special permission to sell their stories to the media.
The Ministry of Defence said it had taken the unusual decision because of the "exceptional circumstances" surrounding their 13-day ordeal.
It means that the eight Royal Navy sailors and seven Royal Marines can now look forward to five or six-figure payouts.
However, the move could also expose them to criticism from others in the armed forces who have suffered as a result of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan but have not been able to cash in in the same way.
In a brief statement confirming the decision, the MoD likened their position to that of someone who had won the Victoria Cross - the military's highest award for gallantry in the face of enemy fire.
"Serving personnel are not allowed to enter into financial arrangements with media organisations. However, in exceptional circumstances - such as the award of a Victoria Cross or events such as those in recent days - permission can be granted by commanding officers and the MoD," the statement said.
Among those who stand to benefit is Leading Seaman Faye Turney - the only woman among the 15. According to reports in the Sunday Times and the Sunday Telegraph, she has now sold her story to ITV1's Tonight with Trevor McDonald show and a newspaper for a sum in excess of £100,000.
The decision to allow sailors and marines to sell their stories has caused unease from some who have lost loved ones in the Gulf and others in military circles.
Mike Aston, whose 30-year-old son Corporal Russell Aston was one of six military policemen killed by a mob in Majar al-Kabir, Iraq, in June 2003, said he was "absolutely amazed" by the Ministry of Defence's decision.
Rose Gentle, whose son 19-year-old Fusilier Gordon Gentle was killed in Basra in June 2004, told the Sunday Times: "This is wrong and I don't think it should be allowed by the MoD. None of the parents who have lost loved ones in Iraq have sold their stories."
What do you think? Should they be able to sell their stories?