Posted on 04/14/2007 5:45:56 AM PDT by nuconvert
U.S. Opts to Continue to Hold 5 Iranian Agents
April 13, 2007
Washington Post
Robin Wright
The Bush administration has decided to hold onto five Iranian Revolutionary Guard intelligence agents captured in Iraq, overruling a recommendation from the State Department to release them because they are no longer useful, according to U.S. officials.
At a meeting of the president's top foreign policy team Tuesday, the administration decided that the five Iranians will remain in custody and go through the periodic six-month review used for other foreign detainees picked up in Iraq, U.S. officials said. The next review may not happen for weeks, and possibly not until July.
The five, seized in a Jan. 11 raid by U.S. forces in the Kurdish city of Irbil in northern Iraq, are at the center of increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iran has been indirectly ratcheting up pressure on the United States, its allies and even its own friends in the Iraqi government to win freedom for the group now known as the Irbil five.
Iran is threatening not to attend a pivotal meeting in Egypt next month of Iraq's neighbors -- plus the United States and international groups involved in Iraq -- that Washington hopes will increase regional cooperation to stabilize the country. Without Iran, which exerts great influence in Iraq, the meeting could end up having marginal impact, according to Iraqi officials and Middle East experts.
When the Iraqi government did not help obtain the release of the five detainees, Iran refused to allow a plane carrying Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to fly over Iranian territory en route to Japan last week. Some U.S. officials now say they believe the seizure of 15 British sailors and marines last month by Revolutionary Guard naval forces may have been at least
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Good. For once, we’re playing the Iranian’s game. I particularily remember the way the Ayatollah would play Jimmah Cahtuh like a Stradivarius during the Hostage Crisis, saying one day there would be a breakthrough in negotiations, then seeing that “hopes were dashed” on the nightly news the next day.
I say we do the same thing to the Persians, make their government look like fools. Perhaps the Iranian people would lose their fear of the retarded Mullahs if they saw they were incompetent.
The article can be interpreted as the Presstitutes plea for release on behalf of the Iranian ayatollahs.
The frightened Poast Toasties fear the tension.
Five more useful birds in hand to use as barter for the next 5 Iranian kidnappings of westerners.
Great news... the State Dept lost this round.
Yes she did...Condi went native and has drank the State Dept kool-aide.
Let me see if I can find it.
“Without Iran, which exerts great influence in Iraq, the meeting could end up having marginal impact, according to Iraqi officials and Middle East experts.”
What do they expect to accomplish WITH Iran? Iran is the enemy and will only change if forced to change by military action.
Petraeus. An awesome guy.
Real reason. They will be released later for reasons of plausible denialabilty. Their release was part of the British hostage deal.
How long until the Dems in congress pass a non-binding resolution ordering the release of these thugs??
Another question: Who in the State Dept. told Robin Wright this?
waste the hairyarses.
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