Iraqi authorities on suspicion of spying have arrested four Iranian intelligence officers and carrying out acts of sabotage in the country, a spokesman for the interior ministry confirmed on Saturday.
| Is this the same bunch as the "diplomats" that were "kidnapped"? Or a different bunch? I'm so confused... |
"The investigation is still continuing. We will announce all the developments," Sabah Kadhim said. Earlier, the Azzaman newspaper reported that four Iranian intelligence officers, led by a senior official, Taimouri Mohammed Mahdi, had been detained on suspicion of operating spy and sabotage operations out of a Baghdad house. Forged documents, Iranian intelligence and Iraqi ID cards were confiscated during the arrests; Azzaman quoted an anonymous source as saying. In Cairo, an Egyptian daily reported interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi as advising Iran not to interfere in his country's affairs amid a growing war of words between Baghdad and Tehran.
Defence Minister Hazem al-Shaalan told the Washington Post last week that he had seen "clear interference in Iraqi issues by Iran" and accused Tehran of working "to kill democracy" in his country. Nevertheless, Allawi said that Iraq maintained "friendly relations" with Iran and stressed it was "in the interest of Iraq and Iran that bilateral relations be balanced, healthy and positive". |