IRANIAN ARRESTED IN ERBIL IS WANTED IN AUSTRIA

AKI ^ | 1/17/07

[Valin]

Tehran, 17 Jan. (AKI) - One of the five Iranians arrested last week by the US army in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil is wanted in Austria in connection with the assassination of Kurdish leader Andol Rahman Ghassemlu in 1989. Mahommad Jaafari Sharoudi was one of five Iranian officials detained last week in the Kurdish-controlled city on charges of being connected to a faction of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the Pasdaran, that funds and arms insurgents in Iraq.

Abdol Rahman Ghassemlu, the historic leader of Iranian Kurds, was killed in an apartment in the outskirts of the Austrian capital Vienna where he was scheduled to meet a delegation sent by then Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

However, shortly after the start of the meeting between a delegation of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and Tehran's delegation, a special unit of the Pasdaran is believed to have stormed the apartment and killed Ghassmlu and his aides.

According to the Austrian police, the killers escaped arrest by hiding in Iran's embassy in Vienna.

Austrian sources claim that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was at the time a Pasdaran official, was the logistics' head of the commando group responsible for the Kurdish leader's death while Jaafari Sharoudi was one of the killers.

[nuconvert]

From another article.....

"The Islamic Republic’s first president, Abolhassan Beni-Sadr, also claimed Ahmadinejad supplied the gun used to kill Ghassemlou."

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=middleeast&xfile=data/middleeast/2007/january/middleeast_january168.xml

[AdmSmith]

Are you sure about this person?

According to this http://www.ncr-iran.net/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=193 in 1986 Mohammad Jafar Sahraroudi was a Brig. General. That was more than 20 years ago. How come that he is in Iraq now? Is it really the same person?

[FARS]

Sorry everyone, they released the VIP - Hassan Abassi immediately at the request of Iraqi president Talebani and the other five were handed over to the Kurds, who do not appear to be questioning them. May have even released them, so the Austrian part may never "happen".

As Drudge says: "developing". Will post more later or it will be up on http://www.antimullah.com (Possibly by tomorrow)

[Just sayin]

but but but they were diploooooooommmmaaaaaaatttssssss.....

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks FARS for the ping, Valin for the topic.

"Austrian sources claim that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was at the time a Pasdaran official, was the logistics' head of the commando group responsible for the Kurdish leader's death while Jaafari Sharoudi was one of the killers."

[Rushmore Rocks]

Catch and release??????????

Updates appreciated.

[SunkenCiv]

How, in this age, in the heart of Europe, could it happen for the representatives of a member country of the United Nations to open fire at point blank range on the representatives of a country with whom it was at war and had entered into peace negotiations?

Because it's a whole different age in Moslem countries. :'(

[llevrok]

Please remove me from your ping list, Fars

Too many pings / too little time

[nuconvert]

According to my research, he was not Brig.Gen. back then.
He was "the commander of Ramadhan Headquarters. He was the field commander involved in the assassination of Abdul-Rahman Qassemlou in Vienna in the summer of 1989 "

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

On the BBC:

Top Iraqi condemns US over Iran

One of Iraq's most powerful Shia politicians has condemned the arrest of Iranians by US forces in Iraq as an attack on the country's sovereignty.

The comments by Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, made in a BBC interview, are seen as the strongest expression yet of Iraq's concern about the US approach to Iran.

They follow two recent US raids in which Iranians were arrested.

The remarks are interesting as Mr Hakim is seen as close to President Bush, says the BBC's Andrew North in Baghdad.

Late last year, US troops descended on Mr Hakim's residential compound in Baghdad and detained two Iranian officials.

They were later released, but last week, five more were detained at the Iranian liaison office in Irbil. They are still being held.

US officials say they are linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard which they allege trains and arms Iraqi insurgents.

*******************************************

Delicate balance

Iran, which has demanded their immediate release, says they are diplomats engaged in legitimate work.

********************************************

Iraq has sought to bring about a dialogue between the US, Iran and Syria, Mr Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, told the BBC.

Any tension between Washington and Tehran might have adverse consequences for Iraq, he said.

We fully respect the views, policies and strategy of the United States, which is the strongest ally to Iraq, but the Iraqi government has national interests of its own Hoshyar Zebari Iraqi Foreign Minister

"Regardless of the Iranian position we consider these actions as incorrect," Mr Hakim said.

"They represent a kind of attack on Iraq's sovereignty and we hope such things are not repeated."

On Sunday, Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said that Iraq needed a constructive relationship with Iran.

"We can't change the geographical reality that Iran is our neighbour. This is a delicate balance and we are treading a very thin line.

"We fully respect the views, policies and strategy of the United States, which is the strongest ally to Iraq, but the Iraqi government has national interests of its own," Mr Zebari said. Mr Hakim is said to be close to President George W Bush and has backed his new plan for Iraq.

Speaking after a lengthy meeting with Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, Mr Hakim said that, under the plan, Iraqi security forces would be in charge for the first time in four years, while the multinational troops provide support.

"This came about at the request of the Iraqis. They met and decided to carry out these operations and be fully responsible while the multinational forces support them," said Mr Hakim.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Red6]

Unbelievable. Catch and release is a good way of putting it.

More troops won't help anything when we attempt to execute a war like this.

[Fred Nerks]

...president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was at the time a Pasdaran official...

but I thought he was nothing more than the mayor of Tehran when he was 'elected'...sarc.

[SauronOfMordor]

Sorry everyone, they released the VIP - Hassan Abassi immediately at the request of Iraqi president Talebani

I'm getting increasingly ticked off at the Iraqi government ...

We should not bother taking these guys alive. Saves work and aggravation

[sheik yerbouty]

Exactly. When the Shi'ite finally hits the fan they will work for the jihadist enemy. Maliki is playing both sides oof the street and he's not alone..

[rogue yam]

How, in this age, in the heart of Europe, could it happen for the representatives of a member country of the United Nations to open fire at point blank range on the representatives of a country with whom it was at war and had entered into peace negotiations?

Umm, because Europeans are cynical and cowardly?

[gotribe]

Sucks.

[gotribe]

I'm getting increasingly ticked off at the Iraqi government ...

We're just about to the point where we can fight this war all over again, but instead against the current government. In that scenario, a simple nuke will do.

[pointsal]

Can someone make a hanging rope from pig's hair???