US Forces Storm Iranian Consulate In Northern Iraq

[kpete]

US forces storm Iranian consulate

US forces have stormed an Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi town of Irbil and seized six 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 would only confirm the detention of six people around Irbil.

The raid comes amid high Iran-US tension. The US accuses Iran of helping to fuel violence in Iraq and seeking nuclear arms. Iran denies both charges.

Tehran counters 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 350km (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.

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


edit to this add additional link:

JUST AFTER BUSH SPEECH
US Raids Iranian Consulate in Iraq
As US President George W. Bush was promising to stem Iranian support for the Iraqi insurgency, US soldiers were raiding the Iranian consulate in Irbil, Iraq. The Iranians aren't happy.

more at:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,459083,00.html

[paparush]

1. This is NOT a coincidence!

This is a carefuly planned move coming on the heels of Chimp's speech announcing the Escalation (prolonged death, destruction, and agony).

We have just taken direct action against Iran. Action meant to provoke a response, to open a new front, to march forward with the PNAC agenda, and to move attention away from the complete clusterfucks in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This will inevitably lead to nukes. There is no way to fight a conventional war in Iran.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. the possibility that this consulate was the center or even involved in

arms supplies to Shia insurgents is less than 0. (OK, mathematicians, I apologize)
Geographically, economically, politically it was not there to support insurgents. It was there to foster cooperation between Iran and Kurds.

[Junkdrawer]

3. Just what will it take to get Iran to attack us?

Come on, Iran. We need a pretext to bomb your uranium enrichment sites.

What's a matter? You yellow?

[SpiralHawk]

4. Thanks a pantload, Commander AWOL

For all you are doing to bring on Armageddon.

What a sick loser you are, Commander AWOL

[annabanana]

5. Was the attack a favor for Turkey?

If Kurdish Iraq wants a relationship with Iran, does it promote an independent Kurdistan?

[HamdenRice]

6. Clever but stupid symbolism of the attack on Iranian consulate

Of course, this attack is illegal under international law. One of the oldest norms of international law is that embassies and consulates are considered to be like the territory of the country the represent.

Even more importantly, diplomatic personnel have diplomatic immunity, which means they cannot be arrested and detained in the host country.

But consider the position that Iran is in. It must protest that the US has violated their diplomatic immunity by raiding a consulate. The response of course is, who is Iran to complain about this as the country that committed one of the most egregious violations of diplomatic immunity in history -- the Iran hostage crisis of 1980.

Of course, two wrongs don't make a right, but in the simplistic thinking of the few remaining Bush administration supporters, this will seem like just deserts. I can already hear the dittoheads saying that our raid was the way you are supposed to violate diplomatic immunity compared to the barbaric hostage crisis of 1980.

It is often said that while Bush is basically a stupid man, he has a kind of street smarts that connects with the kind of person who would support his policies. It's a clever-stupid kind of intelligence.

[Forrest Greene]

19. Sly

...might be the word.

[bdamomma]

7. Iran is not like Iraq, they will strike back and hard.

damn bush and his cabal.

[mod mom]

26. Sam Seder was talking about how they deployed patriot missles. The neocons

are provoking action so they can proceed with their endless war plan. *'s approval is so low and Iraq is going so bad they are willing to...I don't even want to think about it. :(

[Botany]

8. bush wants a war with Iran.

Every f***ing time we make a move over there we just make things worse.

I.S.G. report, "We must start talking to Iran's neighbors including Iran & Syria."

That report came in large part from Jim Baker, the man who helped stop the
counting of votes in Florida and bush just ignores it.

[Pachamama]

9. Bad sign....very bad sign.....

:scared:

[maine_raptor]

10. "The Iranians aren't happy."

Nominated for Understatement of the Year.

I wonder if History will record this raid as a parallel to a raid on a German radio station in August of 1939.

[global1]

11. Isn't This Considered An Act of War? - Attacking A Consulate... If The Tables.....

were turned - wouldn't we consider a raid on our consulate in some other country an act of war?

[Pooka Fey]

12. Yes. Attacking a consulate is the equivalent of attacking the country. n/t

[burythehatchet]

13. Isn't the point to provoke Iran?

[windbreeze]

22. but wait, don't we have

a carrier group right off the Iranian coast, and in range of their sunburn missiles....sitting ducks in so many words... is this nitwit going to sacrifice one of our carriers...in order to have his war with Iran?...if that happens, will we fall for the ploy??? will we accept it??? will we blame the Iranians??? will we allow him to go ahead with HIS plans...or will we find some way to do something about it?
wb

[TahitiNut]

24. Yes. Absolutely. It's an attack on the SOVEREIGN territory of another nation.

In some ways, it's even regarded as worse than an attack across a border since the principles of "diplomatic immunity" and ambassadorial privilege are many centuries old.

It's an Act of War! :grr:

[Botany]

14. Kicked because WW III is a bad idea

:kick:

please keep this kicked and call your senators & congress critters
and tell them bush must be stopped.

[malaise]

15. Who will arrest Bush

This madness must stop.

[G_j]

16. very bad sign

the lunatics must be stopped

[MzNov]

17. We were not under attack nor threatened by Iran. This is entirely

clearly and unequivocally ILLEGAL and UNCONSTITUTIONAL. In any where but the Twilight Zone, he would be stopped immediately, impeached, .... you know the rest.

[snappyturtle]

18. Sneaky . It seems there are no limits

to presidential power..K&R

[sinkingfeeling]

20. If the Iranians stormed an US Consulate, it would be declared an act of war.

[Botany]

21. kicked because WW III is a bad idea

:kick:

[FourScore]

23. According to international law,

this IS an act of war. Consulates are sovereign ground. Clearly it is provocational. Either Iran will strike back, which then the Bush admin can say that they attacked us first (more lies of course), or they will find documents in the raid that will "prove" Iran is supporting the insurgency. The latter, of course, meaning we will then go to war. Either way, I see war with Iran as being imminent.

This is dangerous, dangerous stuff -- all of it following the PNAC playbook.

It's ironic, too, that we stormed their consulate and took six of their people hostage after what happened 28 years ago to our consulate in Iran. I'm sure the irony is evident to those in Washington making these deadly decisions.

We much impeach this man!!!

K&R!!!

[TahitiNut]

25. Yet another War Crime by Cheney/Bush. It's an Act of War.

... and "impeachment is 'off the table.'" :grr: :puke:

[The Deacon]

27. K & R

Anybody else smelling the scent of "Rapture Enablement" here?

[TexasLawyer]

28. kick n/t

[SanCristobal]

29. Talk about a dish best served cold!

LMAO at the Iranians complaining about the sanctity of embassies.

[hayu_lol]

30. San Cristobal, you were the first to pick up on that...LOL. ...

Seems to me that under international law pertaining to embassies/counsulates, the nation of Iraq is responsible for the protection of such within their country.

Run that idea out a bit and what you get is Iran complaining to Iraq about the attack on their 'territory' and seek satisfaction from the Iraqis. That leaves the Iraqi govt. in a position to take on the American forces that did the dirty deed.

No wonder Kindasleezy is headed that way in a day or so.

Interesting international legal question here.

[SanCristobal]

31. If Iraq wasn't so tragic it would be one hell of a comedy.

I like Kindasleezy, thats a new one to me.

[PATRICK]

32. Here's another possibility

Due to the worsening of our Intel sources and the likely untrustworthiness of Israeli help, maybe this also had as a bonus a chance to get hold of conversations Iran was having with ANYONE regarding to real world consequences following a aggression against Iran. Looking for evidence of guns smuggling(or fabricating, but I think considering the reaction so far any such crap now will fizzle and make it worse) is the likely number one. Just getting SOME intelligence considering everything is easily planned in the air attack but not on the ground consequences might have been part of the sell.

Fumbling around, striking out blindly, forging ahead guns blazing. Checking off a victory to do list and watching the personal money flow in keeps the Chimperor mind off unpleasant reality for a bit longer. His five minute memory span plan.

[nam78_two]

33. K&R.nt