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.
Looks like the gloves are coming off. No "diplomatic immunity" for Iranian military operation/espionage plotting facilities.
I realize that we didn't do anything when Iran raided our embassy long ago, but isn't this considered an act of war?
bump
The BBC was mostly fair and mostly balanced but they just couldn't pass up a jab at Bush.
Seriously, do you think Iran is not at war with us?
If the govt of IRAQ withdrew accreditation from this "consulate" (if that is, indeed, formally, what it was) then it is fair game and must have been a hi value target given the rapid raid.
The rules of diplomacy cut both ways and restrict diplomats from using their facilities and diplomatic cover to be used to conduct military operations against the host country.
Oh My. Do they mean the US troops entered the counsulate and removed 5 Iranian terrorists and their terror planning documents?
"The Bush administration accuses Iran of helping fuel violence in Iraq, as well as trying to develop nuclear weapons."
How is this a jab at the President?
Yup, since November, 1979. Time the US took the gloves off.
Shipping IED's into Iraq and supplying alSadr with money and weapons are acts of war.
I'm hoping all the information we're gathering will be used to present to Congress, the American people and the world to build our case for directly taking on Iran. Iraq will never be the success we hope to see, while the current regimes of Syria and Iran exist.
Where're the euphamisms??
"Coalition Forces"
"Iraq Security 'backed' by ...."
We did it, and we're taking the credit.....
Interesting change in wording........
And thanks again to Canada for its courageous support during our Tehran embassy siege in 1979 and for its support now.
About damn time.
It's BBC and they want to make sure that we're identified as the bad guys that did this.
IIRC, consulates aren't sovereign territory like embassies are.
You suggest we did not have the approval of the Iraqi govt to do this. I would bet the farm we had their approval.
Bush and Maliki have reached agreement on ROE for the new direction and taking off the gloves regarding Iranian subversion inside Iraq is one aspect of it.
Pres Bush telegraphed this last night- we are now going to interdict Iranian and Syrian subversion using military means.
Thanks for posting this interesting news.
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