US Forces Raid Iranian Government Representative's Office In Iraq

[maddezmom]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IBO130835.htm

just a headline for now...will look for another link.

US Forces Raid Iran Office In Iraq Thursday January 11, 08:50 AM
US forces have raided an Iranian government representative's office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil and arrested five people, according to local officials. There has been no confirmation from the US military. Two senior Kurdish officials said that the forces stormed the building at around 3am local time, detaining five people and confiscating computers and documents.

The motive for the raid was not known, but it came as tensions remained high between Iran and the United States.

The Bush administration has accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons and of helping to fuel violence in Iraq.

~snip~

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/11012007/140/forces-raid-iran-office-iraq.html

Multi-national forces in Iraq arrested staff members after raiding the Iranian consulate
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S.-led multi-national forces in Iraq raided the Iranian consulate in the northern town of Irbil, Iraq's state-run television network, Al-Iraqia, reported Thursday, arresting staff members and confiscating office equipment.

The operation was conducted in the country's Kurdish region. (Posted 3:57 a.m
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/11/thursday/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[grasswire]

1. oboy

Sounds serious.

[Alexander]

2. See you in Tierra del Fuego...

I'm told that's the best place to avoid nuclear radiation this time of year.

[aquart]

3. Oy.

Let me know when they raid the Saudi rep's offices.

[Poll_Blind]

4. The Iraqi government has friendlier relations with Iran than the U.S.

Which means this, as always, is going to cause problems. It's like a drunk who, on boarding the bus, cannot fail but to bump everyone on the way to their seat.

PB

[Bucky]

37. Have you ever wondered why Iraq has better relations with Iran than us?

I'll bet you'll never guess why, not in a million years!

[Poll_Blind]

56. ? n/t

PB

[Bucky]

58. If I just told you the reason why, you would be Shocked...

... and Awed. But trust me; there's a reason why Iraqis like Iran more than us.

[Poll_Blind]

59. (wink) Indeed. n/t

PB

[HuffleClaw]

5. well, i see they didn't waste any time getting down to business

meep

and i'm sure they'll FIND (*snicker*) 'evidence' of some evil plotting too. pretty transparent though.

[CJCRANE]

6. Uh-oh

[nosmokes]

7. for better or worse i can't find anything backing it up

on AFP sites or AP or BBC or al jazeera. like i say, don't know whether that's good or bad.

[maddezmom]

9. CNN and Sky have it now

:)

[JohnnyLib2]

8. and how will THAT play

to 70 or so million Iranians?

[maddezmom]

10. TVNZ: US raids consulate in Iraq

US forces raided the Iranian consulate office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil on Thursday and arrested five employees, the official Iranian news agency IRNA said.

There was no immediate comment by the US military on the raid which came hours after President George Bush vowed in a speech to interrupt what he called the "flow of support" from Iran and Syria for insurgent attacks on US forces in Iraq.

The raid was the second such operation in the past month against Iranian interests in Iraq by US forces.

"Around 5.00am, after disarming the guards they (US troops) broke into the office, without giving any explanation and arrested five employees," the official IRNA news agency reported, adding that documents and computers were seized.

It said Iran had sent a protest letter to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry

more:http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411366/957253

[xchrom]

11. lol -- it's not like he didn't tell us.

bush is just so weird -- won't talk to iran or syria because he doesn't have any leaverage?!?!

we're the Most Powerful Nation on earth -- how much more leaverage do you need?

[sam sarrha]

12. Bu$h is a weapon of Wet Brain Alcoholic Distruction...

[maddezmom]

13. AFP: US arrests five in Iran consulate raid in Iraq

ARBIL, Iraq (AFP) - US troops have raided Iran's consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil and arrested five employees, an Iranian diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

"We don't know the reason for this," the diplomat said of the raid, which came amid mounting US accusations that Iranian agents are fomenting unrest in Iraq and ordering attacks on American forces.

"The Americans arrested five employees and took all the computers and documentation," the Iranian official said.

The Iranian consulate building in Arbil, which is the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, was sealed off by Kurdish security forces, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070111/wl_mideast_afp/iraniraqusraid_070111100837

[ClintonTyree]

14. So, now we're going to invade another country's foreign offices....

in a "sovereign" nation because we THINK there may be something they're hiding? What's to stop Bush from invading Iranian consulates in ANY country because he doesn't like them? Next he'll be barging into the Iranian Embassies in Washington, Great Britain and Canada just to root around in their papers. It's all part of the "war of 'terra" and completely legal :eyes:

Our pResident, the madman, is itching for a fight with Iran and come hell or high water he's going to get it.

Iran is not going to take this lying down. Bush is overstepping his boundaries, once again, and he's going to get his dick caught in a big wringer, once again. The problem is he's taking our entire country through that wringer with him.

This is NOT good. Again, he's setting another dangerous precedent here, one that will come back to haunt the U.S. somewhere down the line.

We have to stop this madman, somehow, some way, we have to stop him before he's embroiled us in another World War.

[rodeodance]

18. bet Malike gave them the Green light.

[Nihil]

15. "raiding the Iranian consulate"?

Isn't there a little diplomatic law about not invading each other's
embassies?

Did armed criminals take over the building and hold hostages?
If not, what grounds were used to justify this (latest) invasion of
sovereign territory? Or have they given up trying to pretend they
act within the law?

> arresting staff members and confiscating office equipment.

"Arresting"? "Confiscating"? As opposed to "kidnapping" and "stealing"?

Or maybe just "inciting" & "provoking"?

Get a little action in ready for White House announcements?

[charlie and algernon]

31. pretty sure it's an act of war

consulates, embassies, etc are considered the sovereign territory of that nation. I.e. the british embassy in DC is sovereign British Territory. Invading someone's embassy is the legal equivalent of invading that someone's nation.

[cui bono]

16. WaPo...

U.S. forces raid Iranian consulate in Iraq: Iran agency

Reuters
Thursday, January 11, 2007; 4:38 AM

ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces raided the Iranian consulate office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil on Thursday and arrested five employees, the official Iranian news agency IRNA said.

There was no immediate comment by the U.S. military on the raid which came hours after President George W. Bush vowed in a speech to interrupt what he called the "flow of support" from Iran and Syria for insurgent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq.

The raid was the second such operation in the past month against Iranian interests in Iraq by U.S. forces.

"Around 5.00 a.m., after disarming the guards they (U.S. troops) broke into the office, without giving any explanation and arrested five employees," the official IRNA news agency reported, adding that documents and computers were seized.

It said Iran had sent a protest letter to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011100248.html

[salin]

17. I just heard this on npr/morning edition.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Didn't we arrest 4 or 5 Iranians in Iraq last week?

and then let them all go?

[mainer]

20. When Iran did it to us, we were up in arms about it.

Remember the 1970's? They raided OUR embassy and took OUR diplomats captive. And we screamed bloody murder. So now we're doing it and it's perfectly okay?

[Nihil]

22. Yeah well it's all different if the US does it ...

One could very easily insert comments about war-crimes, arms sales,
nuclear proliferation, unlawful imprisonment, torture, ... and they
all meet with the same response: "Yes but it's *different* this time!"

:patriot: :banghead:

[lonestarnot]

21. Moving this along nicely I see.

[Eugene]

23. "...six 'individuals' were arrested during 'routine' operations in the area."

- US military (Reuters)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IBO138807.htm

Talk about understatements! :eyes:

They raided an foreign consulate, seized documents, and arrested at least one diplomat.
Couldn't they have brought along at least a token Iraqi soldier or policeman to give
the operation a fig leaf of local legitimacy? Even if Iran is doing what they claim,
there are other ways to deal with a diplomatic mission besides kicking the door in.


edit for spelling

[TZ]

24. diplomacy

I think Bush and Co. really believe diplomacy means making sure you get the right size bomb to drop on your enemies. "Talking" ie true diplomacy is only done with your friends/allies to make sure they go along with anything you do..:mad:

[formercia]

25. It's a provocation

hoping Iran will use this as an 'excuse' to attack, setting off Fearless Leader's plan for conquest of the Caspian Basin.

[maddezmom]

28. and condi is now "warning them"

:eyes:

Rice warns Iran against aggression after US arrests Iranian consular staff
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070111/pl_afp/iraqusiranunrestrice_070111142703

[formercia]

29. Just like we 'warned' Iraq.

Yeah, right. A one trick pony.

[Barrett808]

35. Clearly. Will Iran take the bait? n/t

[formercia]

40. Iranians have been playing war games

for a lot more Centuries than we have.

[peacebird]

26. BBC says we raided Iranian Consulate - is * trying to start WWIII?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6251167.stm

[Nihil]

30. Yes.

(Just in case it wasn't a rhetorical question :hi:)

[Pooka Fey]

27. I called my new dem congressman's office weeping and demanding impeachment

I would urge everyone to do likewise today - the weeping is optional. :cry: The office staffmember hadn't heard about the raid on the Iranian consulate yet - I sent him to www.reuters.com and the BBC website.

[maddezmom]

32. more info(spin) a senior U.S. military official said the building was not a consulate

~snip~

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told state-run radio that the raid was "against a diplomatic mission" since the "presence of Iranian staffers in Irbil was legal." Hosseini claimed the action by coalition forces reflected a "continuation of pressure" on Iran, aiming to "create tension" between Iraq and its neighbors.

At the Pentagon, a senior U.S. military official said the building was not a consulate and did not have any diplomatic status. The six Iranians were taken in a "cordon-and-knock" operation, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

The raid came as tensions are high between Iran and the United States. The Bush administration has accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons and of helping fuel violence in Iraq. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, is trying to expand Tehran's role in Iraq as a counter to U.S. influence in the Gulf region.

more:http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/01/11/national/000adefense2.txt

[Zodiak]

33. "Plame was not a covert agent"

Pentagon and White House officials are both bereft of credibility and should not be heeded without independent verification.

[BluePatriot]

34. Erbil? That's unexpected

North's been relatively calm, lots of contractors doing business there. The Kurds are usually quiet and one would not expect them to cooperate with Iran ala the Shia. (I could be wrong.) But, I guess it would be a good place for the Iranians to operate unimpeded, if they chose. Or, the US has just picked a "soft target" for show.

[Big Pappa]

36. I

wonder what will be Irans respnse.

[donkeyotay]

38. bush is destroying the rule of law

One day he's bombing a sovereign nation, and the next he's arresting diplomats. He and his morose SOS bully and scold as if they had been elected to run the whole planet.

How would it be different if China decided to bomb Taiwan and arrest random people there (for torture?)? Fill in the scenario for any other country in the world and explain how it would be acceptable for, oh say, Russia to act this way? What bush is destroying is the world's hope for legal order. He's turning it into a gangster's free-for-all.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

39. Impeach, Impeach, Impeach

eom

[Applan]

41. U.S. Forces Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq, Detain 5

Am I missing something here or did the USA just declare war on Iran? I mean aren't consulates considered foreign territory?

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a90DLQrWr.YY&refer=us

Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. forces in Iraq raided Iran's consulate in the northern city of Arbil and detained five staff members, a state-run Iranian news service said.

The U.S. soldiers disarmed guards and broke open the consulate's gate before seizing documents and computers during the operation, which took place today at about 5 a.m. local time, the Islamic Republic News Agency said. There was no immediate information on whether any of those detained are diplomats.

The raid follows a warning yesterday to Iran and Syria from President George W. Bush in his address to the American people on a new strategy for Iraq. Bush accused Iran and Syria of aiding the movement of ``terrorists and insurgents'' in and out of Iraq and said the U.S. will ``seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies.''

[Norquist Nemesis]

42. Five? What happened to the sixth? n/t

[peacetalksforall]

48. Spies. This has happened before - so by deduction .... one

was a spy and wasn't placed with the others and is now debriefing and helping in the analysis of captured data. Or if I were writing a book - the 6-5 would be a clue to partners in the operation. The six would mean something - the difference between or the total of or some other combination.

This appears to be an act of war against Iran.

It may be up to the rest of the world to figure out how to stop this.

We're in a disastrous situation.

We are now controlled by madmen and women obsessed with money and power and arrogance that has never been seen in humanity.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

43. WTF??????? n/t

[AndyA]

44. Way to go, George.

Bite off more than you can chew. Again.

You can't even finish one war before you start another one.

Just keep on doing what you're doing: killing innocent troops and running our country into the ground.

I WANT A PRESIDENT, FOR A CHANGE!

[hashibabba]

45. Can't we stop this psychopath from starting another war?

What will it take? He's so delusional and dangerous.

[ohio2007]

46. maybe * plans to detain the five staff members for 444 days nt

[havocmom]

47. Is this a different raid? Didn't this come up already?

Is this in addition to the raid we have been ranting about? I am having trouble keeping up with the outrages.

[Applan]

49. My appologies if it was already posted

I only just checked in- it happened early morning Baghdad time so maybe it's already been discussed.

[havocmom]

50. Was wondering if it was a new attack or not

I haven't been glued to the computer or news on TV so I am confused.

Same incident or different one in addition to this one?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2683767&mesg_id=2683767

I need to keep better score. ;)

[Applan]

51. Same one, my bad

Still I know what you mean. There are so many bad things happening that it's impossible to keep track. I wonder whether this will get any attention on TV news. It certainly should because it seems like it's an obvious act of provocation to me.

[jakem]

52. He has it figured out.

Bush is trying to take soldiers out of Iraq, bringing them home via Iran.

[peacetalksforall]

53. That's what I've been saying. But, I thought he/they would make

a big deal out of pulling them from Iraq. Political capital...doncha know.

They are moving east with piles of dead along the way. Permission was given for Afghanistan - but the cowboy and his string pullers are running all the way to the Mediterranean. Don't be surprised if friends Jordan and Egypt get invaded.

[Kagemusha]

54. Bet you it's a consulate to Kurdistan, which 'isn't a real country'

therefore even though the Kurdish President of Iraq and the leader of the Kurdistan region likely had rolled out the red carpet for this, to the US, "Iraq" had no Iranian consulate in Arbil. Only "Kurdistan" did.

This is speculation, mind you, but I've already heard of the Pentagon denying flatly that it was a consulate so this is my assumption based on that...

[Megahurtz]

55. See what he's doing?

:wow: He's really pushing it. He wants to go to War with Iran.
FUCK!:argh:

:nuke:

What are we going to do? What can we do to stop this?
Is there any stopping this War-Mongering Maniac and his Cabal???

[oblivious]

57. Kurdish government in Iraq slams U.S. action in Irbil (from OP link)

Kurdish government in Iraq slams U.S. action in Irbil

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S. military operation in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil that resulted in the arrests of six Iranians drew a sharp denunciation from Iraq's Kurdish regional government Thursday.

A spokesman for the autonomous regional government and its presidency expressed their "alarm" and condemned the early Thursday action, which they characterized as a raid on the Iranian consulate in Irbil -- "which opened in the provincial capital in an agreement between the Iraqi government and the Iranian government."

The Kurdish regional government is based in Irbil.

The Kurdish statement -- which demands the immediate release of the detainees -- said the consulate is entitled to immunity in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in 1963. (Posted 12:57 p.m.)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/11/thursday/index.html?section=cnn_latest