Blair says Britain will not negotiate over hostages

Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday that Britain would not negotiate over British sailors and marines held hostage by Iran.''The important thing for us is to get them back safe and sound, but we can't enter into some basis of bargaining,'' Blair said in a television interview.

''What you have to do when you are engaged with people like the Iranian regime, you have to keep explaining to them, very patiently, what it is necessary to do and at the same time make them fully aware there are further measures that will be taken if they're not prepared to be reasonable.What you can't do is end up negotiating over hostages; end up saying there's some quid pro quo or tit for tat; that's not acceptable,'' he said.