Posted on 06/28/2009 2:22:20 AM PDT by blueplum
Iranian media reported today that authorities have detained eight local employees of the British embassy in Tehran for what is described as their alleged role in post-election protests.
The reports by state-run TV and the semi-official Fars news agency provided no further details and could not be verified independently.
Iran's rulers have accused the west of stoking unrest following a bitterly disputed June 12 presidential election, singling out Britain and the US for alleged meddling.
Last week, Iran expelled two British diplomats, prompting the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats from Britain.
Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi alleges massive fraud in the presidential election, saying he is the rightful winner, not President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Today's arrests come after a senior Iranian cleric, Ahmed Khatami, on Friday lashed out at Britain in a nationally televised sermon. "In this unrest, Britons have behaved very mischievously and it is fair to add the slogan of 'down with England' to the slogan of 'down with USA,'" he said.
The US and Europe have become increasingly vocal about their condemnation of Iran's harsh crackdown. Iran's leaders have pushed back
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Do local employees of an embassy enjoy the same protection as actual foreign embassy staff?
No.
I’m not really sure. I checked BBC’s site and they are running the same story with an added blurb about British nationals. According to the Embassy map at tehran.stanford.edu, the British embassy was flagged as not accepting injured students or offering sanctuary
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8122871.stm
The UK Foreign Office said in London: “We have in the last few days received a number of, sometimes confused, reports that British nationals or others with British connections have been detained. We continue to raise them with the Iranian authorities.”
The US hasn’t been weak enough for Iran to get away with this since Jimmy Carter. It’s no wonder our enemies like obama.
Deja Vu
Obama is the first black Jimmy Carter.
It’s playing out exactly like Jimmy. Now the diaper-heads are taking embassy hostages hahahaha!
Feels like ol’ times.
bttt
oh! great articles
Did anyone alive at the time miss the fact that, as soon a Reagan replaced Carter, our embassy folks in Iran were released -- despite the near-certainty that Ahmanutjob was among the young mullahradicals who were holding them hostage?
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