NYT: U.S. Is Detaining Iranians Caught in Raids in Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/25/world/middleeast/25iraq.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

U.S. Is Detaining Iranians Caught in Raids in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Dec. 24 — The American military is holding at least four Iranians in Iraq, including men the Bush administration called senior military officials, who were seized in a pair of raids late last week aimed at people suspected of conducting attacks on Iraqi security forces, according to senior Iraqi and American officials in Baghdad and Washington.

The Bush administration made no public announcement of the politically delicate seizure of the Iranians, though in response to specific questions the White House confirmed Sunday that the Iranians were in custody.

Gordon D. Johndroe, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said two Iranian diplomats were among those initially detained in the raids. The two had papers showing that they were accredited to work in Iraq, and he said they were turned over to the Iraqi authorities and released. He confirmed that a group of other Iranians, including the military officials, remained in custody while an investigation continued, and he said, “We continue to work with the government of Iraq on the status of the detainees.”

It was unclear what kind of evidence American officials possessed that the Iranians were planning attacks, and the officials would not identify those being held. One official said that “a lot of material” was seized in the raid, but would not say if it included arms or documents that pointed to planning for attacks. Much of the material was still being examined, the official said.

[earlybelle]

1. Is Iran detaining all the US and Israeli folks they catch inside Iran?

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. So after 3.5 years of war in Iraq

we finally caught a few Iranians? Bush better hurry up and bomb Iran, you never know, this sort of thing might get out of control. :sarcasm:

[allemand]

3. Iraqi government protests arrest of Iranian officials

US arrests two Iranian officials in Iraq

Iraqi government protests arrest of Iranian officials, says were officially invited by Iraq’s president.
By Dave Clark and Mona Salem - BAGHDAD

The Iraqi government protested Monday after US forces arrested a number of Iranian officials in Baghdad, allegedly because they were planning to incite attacks in the already war torn country.

"Two people who were invited by the president to Iraq have now been apprehended by the Americans, and the president is unhappy with the arrests," Hiwa Osman, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's media adviser said.

"The invitation was within the framework of an agreement between Iran and Iraq to improve the security situation," he added.
(,,,)

"Two diplomats from the Iranian embassy came to see me at the mosque to offer condolences on the death of my mother. (...) After they left the mosque and were travelling back to the embassy they were arrested by the Americans, with two of their guards. I don't know why. I later heard that they'd been released".

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18922

[maddezmom]

4. Iraqi government protests arrest of Iranian officials, says were officially invited by Iraq’s presid

By Dave Clark and Mona Salem - BAGHDAD

The Iraqi government protested Monday after US forces arrested a number of Iranian officials in Baghdad, allegedly because they were planning to incite attacks in the already war torn country.

"Two people who were invited by the president to Iraq have now been apprehended by the Americans, and the president is unhappy with the arrests," Hiwa Osman, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's media adviser said.

"The invitation was within the framework of an agreement between Iran and Iraq to improve the security situation," he added.

Separately, a leading Shiite lawmaker and imam, Sheikh Jalal Eddin al-Saghir of the Baratha Mosque, said that two Iranian diplomats had also been seized by US forces in Baghdad on Thursday last week, but later released.

more:http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18922

[maddezmom]

5. Iran furious at Iraq arrests

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has condemned the arrest by US forces of a number of Iranian officials in Baghdad, warning that the move could lead to "unpleasant consequences".

"This action is not compatible with international law and it will have unpleasant consequences," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini was quoted as saying by the Mehr agency on Monday. He did not elaborate.

At least two Iranian officials have been arrested, allegedly because they were planning to incite attacks in the already war-torn country.

A spokesman for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said two Iranians invited by the president to work on improving security in Iraq had been arrested by US forces.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061225/wl_mideast_afp/iraqsecurityiranus_061225115107

[greccogirl]

17. Why, I don't blame them. Everybody knows the Iranians had

a simple reason to be doing it.................

[MrPrax]

6. Quite striking...

The difference between the real story and the NY Times version. If you notice, the NY Times story buries the key elements and leads with the Bush 'narrative'.

The Iranians go from the first paragraph to being 'senior military officials' to Iranian diplomats in the second one and then if you didn't get the point what the NSC is telling you, they blight the news story with the allegation: "One official said that “a lot of material” was seized in the raid". But then you when you read the story, the 'capture' takes place, as the other news accounts claim,

The events that led to the arrests of the Iranians began on Thursday, although details are sketchy.
In one raid, which took place around 7 p.m. that day, American forces stopped an official Iranian Embassy car carrying the two Iranian diplomats, one or two Iranian guards and an Iraqi driver. Iraqi officials said that the diplomats had been praying at the Buratha mosque and that when it was stopped, the car was in the Allawi neighborhood, a few minutes from the Iranian Embassy to the west of the Tigris River.

Oh so the 'raids' are linked are they? Why? How? Because the NSC said spokesman said so. The Times admits in print it does have 'details' but is not above pushing whatever 'thinking' officials from the White House want regardless of whether it fits the narrative or not.

It's pretty hard to see it as anything more than war propaganda really -- yet it is the posted OP and of course any attempt to post a 'real' news story from a credible source will simply see the 'real' story attached to this propaganda. DU LBN is getting bad...mostly just a lot of state department propaganda from news sources that can't be trusted anymore.

[oblivious]

8. K & R. This is a very significant story. And you're right about the NYT story.

This is unbelievable. They raided the compound of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the largest Shi'ite bloc in Iraq's parliament, who met with President Bush earlier this month at the White House.

[Eugene]

7. Reuters: U.S. highlights Iran-meddling charge in Iraq

U.S. highlights Iran-meddling charge in Iraq
25 Dec 2006 19:44:10 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON, Dec 25 (Reuters) - The Bush administration said on Monday
the arrest in Iraq of alleged Iranian provocateurs, including two diplomats,
underscored U.S. concerns about "meddling" amid rising U.S.-Iranian strains.

U.S.-led forces detained the Iranians during operations "against those
planning and plotting attacks against multinational forces, Iraqi forces and
Iraqi citizens," the State Department said.

-snip-

U.S. military and civilian officials in Baghdad and Washington did not respond
to questions about any evidence the arrested Iranians were plotting attacks.

"We suspect this event validates our claim about Iranian meddling," said Alex
Conant, a White House spokesman, "but we want to finish our investigation
of the detained Iranians before characterizing their activities."

-snip-

Details of the arrests were sketchy. The New York Times, which first reported
the arrests on Sunday, said the Iranians were picked up in a pair of raids
in central Baghdad late last week.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N25363463.htm

[IndianaGreen]

9. No, this highlights US meddling in Iraqi affairs

Despite the constant whiners from the Bush regime to the Israelbots in America, the fact remains that our invasion of Iraq has removed the only strategic obstacle to Shia expansionism.

Perhaps the boys from PNAC and AIPAC should start demanding the release of Saddam, and put the Baathists back in power.

[oblivious]

10. Bush's comments in the oval office on Dec 4 to the man whose compound was raided.

President Bush Meets with His Eminence Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim, Leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq

PRESIDENT BUSH: Your Eminence, welcome back to the Oval Office. This is the second opportunity I've had to meet with one of the distinguished leaders of a free Iraq. This is a man whose family suffered unbelievable violence at the hands of the dictator, Saddam Hussein. He lost nearly 60 family members, and yet rather than being bitter, he's involved with helping the new government succeed.

We talked about a lot of important issues. I appreciate so very much His Eminence's commitment to a unity government. I assured him the United States supports his work and the work of the Prime Minister to unify the country. Part of unifying Iraq is for the elected leaders and society leaders to reject the extremists that are trying to stop the advance of this young democracy. I appreciated very much His Eminence's strong position against the murder of innocent life.

We talked about the need to give the government of Iraq more capability, as quickly as possible, so that the elected government of Iraq can do that which the Iraqi people want, which is to secure their country from the extremists and murderers. I told His Eminence that I was proud of the courage of the Iraqi people. I told him that we're not satisfied with the pace of progress in Iraq, and that we want to continue to work with b]the sovereign government of Iraq to accomplish our mutual objectives, which is a free country that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself; a free country which will serve as an ally in the war against the extremists and radicals and terrorists.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061204-7.html



Edit: added URL

[emald]

11. okay, so here we go on the Iran bombing

this could be a prelude, an opening, a begining to the needed predication for war with Iran. US seizes their officials, there will be some sort of repurcusion and that will lead to the oneupmanship so prevelent in the neocon personality traits (note *ush's "bring it on" statement). I believe we may just be looking at the opening move of a nuclear war. piss. double piss. fools run this country and evil prods them on. 2007 will be a dark year it seems and it may open with a bang. I really hope not. But the dumb shit running things doesn't leave me with any confidence.

[me b zola]

12. This story rocked me back when I heard it this morning

What's up with the schitzophrenic "policy" in Iraq? One day it's all about Iraq being a free & sovereign democratic nation, the next day we are detaining their guests. This latest move really worries me.


...fasten your seatbelts ladies & gentlemen...

[niceypoo]

13. As with most stories that fit their plans I am sure it will be proven to be bullshit

[dipsydoodle]

14. Later bulletin from BBC

Iran has formally protested to the US over the arrest in Iraq of two Iranians that Tehran said were diplomats invited there by the Iraqi government
>
US officials said several Iranians had been arrested by US forces in Iraq, including two with diplomatic immunity, but said those two had been released.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6209247.stm

see now also : http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2980401

[daleo]

15. Bush could be trying to goad Iran

A little Iranian diversion might be just the ticket, to provide justification for a "surge" in troop levels.

[DemReadingDU]

16. evening kick

[me b zola]

18. This is a huge story that was dumped during a holiday when no one was looking

Don't let this story fall down the memory hole, because we will be seeing it pop up again to bite us in the arse.