The BBC website picks up the musty tone of David Miliband’s recent speech on Europe in a headline which strongly suggests a direct quote from something or someone:

Iran ‘must free UK Embassy staff’

The ensuing piece about an EU Foreign Ministers statement on the arrest by Iranian police of some locally employed British Embasst staff (probably Iranian nationals) in fact does not have this expression in it.

Here is what I take to be the definitive text of the EU Ministers’ statement:

The Foreign Ministers of the European Union remain seriously concerned about events in Iran. They condemn the continued arrest and detention of peaceful demonstrators and journalists, and the increasing restrictions on both the domestic and foreign media. EU Foreign Ministers condemn the unjustified expulsion of two UK Diplomats and the detention of several Iranian staff working at the British Embassy in Tehran.

They call on the Iranian authorities to release these Embassy staff immediately and to offer full protection of all staff working in EU Embassies in Tehran in accordance with the Vienna convention and Diplomatic norms. They make clear to the Iranian authorities that harassment or intimidation of foreign or Iranian staff working in Embassies will be met with a strong and collective EU response.

Not bad as such things go, although I wonder what strong and collective response they in practice might be ready to accept if things get worse.

But as you can see, the ‘must’ word is not there. Instead they ‘call on’ the Iranian authorities to release these people and talk in general terms about the strong collective response but without linking it to this episode specifically.

Sensible drafting. Don’t box yourself in unless you want to show that you are deliberately reducing your options to raise the ante.

Since a statement which says that "The Iranian authoriries must release UK Embassy staff" merely invites one brisk retort:

"Oh we must, must we? And if we don’t?"