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| Iraq |
| Report: U.S. Frees 2 Iranian Detainees |
| 2006-12-29 |
| TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Two Iranians detained by American troops in Iraq and suspected of transferring weapons technology to insurgents in that country were released early Friday, Iran's state-run television and news agency reported. The U.S. military had no immediate comment. There was also no immediate response from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Iranian state TV referred to the Iranians as diplomats and said the release happened Friday. The two were handed over to Iranian officials in the presence of Iraq's National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie, said Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA. Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's ambassador to Baghdad, said the arrest of the two diplomats was against internationally accepted regulations, IRNA said. "Fortunately with the effort exerted by the Iraqi officials, the U.S. forces, who first denied their arrest, were obliged to admit it and under pressure from the Iraqi government to release them," IRNA quoted Qomi as saying. The White House said earlier this week that U.S. troops had detained at least two Iranians and released two others who had diplomatic immunity. A White House spokesman said the Iranians were taken into custody during a raid on suspected insurgents. On Thursday, a Pentagon official said U.S. forces had found "indications and evidence that all of the people rounded up, including the two Iranians, are involved in the transfer of IED technologies from Iran to Iraq." IED stands for improvised explosive devices, or small bombs that are commonly used in attacks in Iraq. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not yet been made public, said that U.S. forces were working out ways to turn over the Iranians to the Iraqis. A spokesman for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said Monday that the two detained Iranians were in the country at his invitation. Maryam Rajavi, the head of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an Iranian opposition group, said the two Iranians were senior members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and had coordinated attacks against coalition troops and Iraqi civilians. It was not possible to independently verify Rajavi's allegations, made Thursday in a phone interview from Paris. Iran, a Shiite Muslim country, has considerable influence among Iraq's Shiite majority. The United States has accused Iran of supplying money, weapons components and training to Shiite militia in Iraq, as well as technology for roadside bombs. Iran has denied the allegations, saying it only has political and religious links with Iraqi Shiites. Talabani visited Iran last month to seek government officials' help in quelling the sectarian violence in Iraq. The Iraqi president, who is a member of Iraq's Kurdish minority, had close ties with Iranian officials before Saddam Hussein was overthrown by the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. |
| Posted by:.com |
| #12 Gee - I don't know. It sure seems to me that the western world is getting a lot of effectiveness out of the good old standby: "Stop, or I'lll say "Stop" again ...." No need to inconvenience diplomats, or anything like that. I just hope we have some sharp ODA's prowling around the Iranian oil infrastructure, finding way to unobtrusively accelerate the natural deterioration process, so that the entire system slowly grinds to a halt. Then the Iranians can leatrn to eat rocks and tree bark - kinda like the Norks. |
| Posted by: Lone Ranger 2006-12-29 22:26 |
| #11 Part of me agrees with OP there. Maybe we should bring home our troops, if they're gonna be hamstrung by stupid-@ss ROEs like this one. Part of me (no matter how badly I do NOT want any more Americans to die, no matter what shape, political affiliation or stripe) almost HOPES we get hit again. The cynic in me knows then, and ONLY then will we truly get down to business and shove all this P.C.-fighting rules aside. Let's see if these Iranians could last two hours in the woods of south Alabam or Mis-sip. And, I know our home grown patriots would "TCOB" and quickly w/o any hesitations. These brave soldiers lives are not worth the price IF this is how we continue to fight this war. It will drive us to be attacked again, and ultimately, force us to either eliminate muslims wholesale, or be eliminated ourselves. |
| Posted by: BA 2006-12-29 17:18 |
| #10 This story is so wrong on so many levels. The other day I learn that the US State Dept. conspired to cover Arafat's ass over the murder of US Dips. Today I learn that enemy Iranian agents caught red handed are cut loose. This is just the tip of the proverbeal iceberg. Whatever happened to the country I thought I knew? Maybe it never existed. I don't know if Moon6 is a Dad or Mom, but his or her point is well taken. And I agree: whoever the Iranians were, they should have been shot. |
| Posted by: Mark Z 2006-12-29 15:00 |
| #9 Maybe we SHOULD be fighting at home. It seems our enemy is "aided and abetted" by our on State Department and every dummycritter in the Congress. Hanging a few of THEM for "failure to register as an agent of a foreign power" would go a long way toward cleaning up the mess that is Washington, DC. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-12-29 14:45 |
| #8 Please thank your son from us, Moon6. Unfortunately, if they weren't fighting over there, however counterproductive the Rules of Engagement and diplomatic stupidities, we'd be fighting here at home soon enough. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-12-29 13:00 |
| #7 This makes me want me want my son out of the military. These folks should have been shot at sunrise. |
| Posted by: Moon6 2006-12-29 11:58 |
| #6 "I'm really starting to think these people aren't worth it." Maybe yes, maybe no, but that's not really why we're there. Thank God the grunts kick ass, even while politicians do what ever it is they do. |
| Posted by: Hyper 2006-12-29 11:06 |
| #5 I think all future raids should end like the Sadr top aid the other day. Littlest move fire death and then problem solved and no one can request his release. I understand why its valuable to capture alive for interrogation but this kind of stuff is just bullsh*t. The last thing we need to do is get caught in a Isreali trap of catch and release at every hollow negotiation or request for show of good faith. Arrrrr |
| Posted by: C-Low 2006-12-29 10:32 |
| #4 "indications and evidence that all of the people rounded up, including the two Iranians, are involved in the transfer of IED technologies from Iran to Iraq." Diplomats my aching arss. Word on the street here is there was little doubt about their intentions. Caught red handed. Sophisticated IED making instructions, money, etc. Saddam should would have some company on the gallows. Thanks you US State Department and lame, pissy military leadership. Please take personal pride in the next soldier, sailor, airman, or marine that dies from a phueching IED you spineless bastards. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-12-29 09:39 |
| #3 They're not. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-12-29 09:29 |
| #2 I don't think it's just us... A spokesman for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said Monday that the two detained Iranians were in the country at his invitation. I'm really starting to think these people aren't worth it. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-12-29 09:24 |
| #1 American leadership does not want to win. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-12-29 09:06 |