Posted on 01/11/2007 4:33:56 AM PST by nuconvert
US forces storm Iranian consulate
Thursday, 11 January 2007
US forces have stormed an Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi town of Irbil and seized five members of staff. The troops raided the building at about 0300 (0001GMT), taking away computers and papers, according to Kurdish media and senior local officials.
The US military had no immediate comment on the raid, which comes amid high tension between Iran and the US.
The Bush administration accuses Iran of helping fuel violence in Iraq, as well as trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran strenuously denies both charges, countering that US military involvement in the Middle East endangers the whole region.
A local TV station said Kurdish security forces had taken over the building after the Americans had left.
Irbil lies in Iraq's Kurdish-controlled north, about 350 kilometres (220 miles) from the capital Baghdad.
Reports say the Iranian consulate there was set up last year under an agreement with the Kurdish regional government to facilitate cross-border visits.
Pressure
Iranian media said the country's embassy in Baghdad had sent a letter of protest about the raid to the Iraqi foreign ministry.
One Iranian news agency with a correspondent in Irbil says five US helicopters were used to land troops on the roof of the Iranian consulate.
It reports that a number of vehicles cordoned off the streets around the building, while US soldiers warned the occupants in three different languages that they should surrender or be killed.
In December, US troops detained a number of Iranians in Iraq, including two with diplomatic immunity who were later released.
Thursday's raid came as US President George W Bush unveiled his new strategy in Iraq, which included increasing troop numbers and a commitment to stop Iranian support for "our enemies in Iraq".
BBC Diplomatic Correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the raid could signal a ratcheting-up of pressure on the Iranians, in line with the rhetorical thrust of his speech.
Meanwhile in the Iraqi capital, the five off-duty policemen were killed in an ambush in the western al-Khadra neighbourhood, hospital officials said
Security sources said another man was killed wounded in an attack on a money changer in downtown Baghdad.
In the restive Anbar province, the US military said that one of its troops was killed on Tuesday by a roadside bombing.
I wonder why there's not a peep (that I'm finding anyway) on the news channels...
Blindfold them and hold them hostage for 444 days.
RUH-ROH!......
" I wonder why there's not a peep (that I'm finding anyway) on the news channels... "
F&F (Fluff & Folly) has been sneaking in the odd reference between blathering about "Donald and Fatso" and the usual nonsense.....
There is NO DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY for ANY COUNTRY's PERSONNEL that are engaging in espionage activities in ANY country............
It would be if you believed the BBC report that this was an official consulate office as opposed to superfluous building that the Iranians work out of with the insurgents.
Get a clue.
The Iranians stormed our official Iranian Embassy and took hostages they held for months.
All official embassy employees HAVE to have proper identification; even your loving Iranians.
Get information, execute them and then tie their bodies on a missile and fire it into Tehran.
According to what Bill Roggio wrote here:
http://billroggio.com/archives/2007/01/iran_and_alqaeda_in.php
the Iranian agents were "released and deported." It would seem that at some level diplomatic considerations were in play, but there was a tremendous amount of intel that was gathered in the process. This morning's raid is certainly a follow on to what took place in December.
It would seem that the Iraqi government has had a "change of heart" about the situation. At least it looks that way and I hope it continues that way . . .
After how long and in what condition?............
I suspect the real, unwritten target of the new strategy is Damascus, the Weak Link. Basically, it's Jim Baker's idea without the baleful tactics of going hat in hand to the Boy President with a begging bowl. Split Damascus from Tehran and you isolate the Persians from the West.
Suppose a Syrian armored company turns into a smoking ruin in the middle of the Syrian desert. Changes minds, non?
Mais oui!
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Whoops. No two ways about it, that was an act of war.
Iran, here we come!
Wish we'd lead with some nukes, though.
What you said. Only it needs to happen to more Iranian "diplomats" than just the group in Kurdistan.
Since we do not own Iraq, diplomatic immunity is between Iran and Iraq. We can claim that we were just acting on intel provided by Iraq and were acting on it their behalf........
re: US soldiers warned the occupants in three different languages that they should surrender or be killed
Well, they've ALMOST got it! As soon as they learn to do away with the "warned" part the enemy will get the message very quickly!
Seriously, what a great thing to hear this morning!
God bless our forces who are over there risking life and limb to keep us the world's greatest force for good.
I haven't heard a word about it on NPR......Iran hasn't said anything, has it?............ABCNNBCBS is all talk about some speech.............
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.