"Senior military officials." By James Glanz and Sabrina Tavernise for the New York Times:
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.
Nonetheless, the two raids, in central Baghdad, have deeply upset Iraqi government officials, who have been making strenuous efforts to engage Iran on matters of security. At least two of the Iranians were in this country on an invitation extended by Iraq’s president, Jalal Talabani, during a visit to Tehran earlier this month. It was particularly awkward for the Iraqis that one of the raids took place in the Baghdad compound of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq’s most powerful Shiite leaders, who traveled to Washington three weeks ago to meet President Bush.
Over the past four days, the Iraqis and Iranians have engaged in intense behind-the-scenes efforts to secure the release of the remaining detainees. One Iraqi government official said, “The Iranian ambassador has been running around from office to office.”
Iraqi leaders appealed to the American military, including to Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the senior American ground commander in Iraq, to release the Iranians, according to an Iraqi politician familiar with the efforts. The debate about what to do next has also engaged officials in the White House and the State Department. The national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, has been fully briefed, officials said, though they would not say what Mr. Bush has been told about the seizure or the identity of the detainees.
A senior Western official in Baghdad said the raids were conducted after American officials received information that the people detained had been involved in attacks on official security forces in Iraq. “We conduct operations against those who threaten Iraqi and coalition forces,” the official said. “This was based on information.”
A spokesman for Mr. Hakim, who heads a Shiite political party called Sciri, which began as an exile group in Iran that opposed Saddam Hussein, declined to comment. In Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, had no comment about the case on Sunday other than to say it was under examination.
[...]
Much about the raids and the identities of the Iranians remained unclear on Sunday. American officials offered few details. They said that an investigation was under way and that they wanted to give the Iraqi government time to figure out its position. A Bush administration official said the Iranian military officials held in custody were suspected of being members of the Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. It has been involved in training members of Hezbollah and other groups that the Americans regard as terrorist organizations.
American and Iraqi officials have long accused Iran of interfering in this country’s internal affairs, but have rarely produced evidence. The administration presented last week’s arrests as a potential confirmation of the link. Mr. Johndroe said, “We suspect this event validates our claims about Iranian meddling, but we want to finish our investigation of the detained Iranians before characterizing their activities.”
[...]
The raids and arrests were confirmed by at least seven officials and politicians in Baghdad and Washington. Still, the development was being viewed skeptically on Sunday by some Iraqis, who said that they suspected that the timing was intended to reinforce arguments by some in the administration that direct talks with Iran would be futile.
[...]
The United States is now holding, apparently for the first time, Iranians who it suspects of planning attacks. One senior administration official said, “This is going to be a tense but clarifying moment.”
“This is going to be a tense but clarifying moment.”
Good . we need more Tense and Clarifying moments.
The Shi'ite Iraq government is clearly in cahoots with Iran. Putting Iraqis in charge of that country (?) while American and British forces provide security for that government and the inhabitants of Iraq (the mythical "Iraqi people") is not too smart.
Americans are getting killed to keep Sunni from killing Shi'ite and vice versa.
American soldiers, Marines, and sailors are dying ostensibly to keep the "terrorists," "foreign fighters," "insurgents," "jihadists," from coming over here--to the United States--and planting roadside bombs, ambushes of truck convoys, kidnapping, torturing, and klling civilians, etc.
If our government cannot keep these determined Islamics of every stripe--Sunni al Qaedas, Sh'ite Hezbollhas, Saudi mujahadeen, and assorted "foreigners" of the Mohammedan persuasion from wreaking havoc here in our country, then it (this government) is unworthy of the people's reliance on it to keep the country safe from foreign invaders.
what we have in Iraq is a bunch or warlords masquerading as a government, and sucking as much as they can from the USA and letting Iraq, an Iranian terrorists have a free hand at killing are soldiers
Do we have rendition agreememts with Isreal? Should we send them to Poland, where they have convincing methods of questioning?
Tense and clarifying moments? We need a lot of them!
Iraq foreign minister running from office to office? Why?
Enquiring minds want to know!!!!!!!
Could we be having a war with a religion? That's a tough one to get your mind around!
“This is going to be a tense but clarifying moment.”
It may stay tense but it won't stay clarified. Both Iran and the Iraqi "government" will make mud out of it and we'll end up with the dirty end of the stick.
When are we going to realize that we are dealing with mad dogs and that there is only one way to deal with mad dogs?
the one good part about this in that it will make it more difficult for those Democrats to want to have some dialogue with Iran, like Kerry and his buds.
better to identify your enemies, and iran can be taken out shortly.
Off topic, but significant:
Keith Ellison encourages crowd to push for justice: "Allahu akbar" was the reply of many in the crowd.
Ummah News Links
Here is just a peek at some of allahs justice keith hakim ellison wants to teach america!
þ*** Found in: BOOK O: JUSTICE.
Chapter O-11.0: Non-Muslim Subjects of the Islamic State (Ahl Al-Dhimma).
æÌÏÊ ÇáßáãÇÊ Ýí ÇáÝÕ
O-11.5
Such non-Muslim subjects are obliged to comply with Islamic rules that pertain to the safety and indemnity of life, reputation, and property. In addition, they:
1- are penalized for committing adultery or theft, thought not for drunkenness;
2- are distinguished from Muslims in dress, wearing a wide cloth belt (zunnar);
3- are not greeted with "as-Salamu 'alaykum";
4- must keep to the side of the street;
5- may not build higher than or as high as the Muslims' buildings, though if they acquire a tall house, it is not razed;
6- are forbidden to openly display wine or pork, (A: to ring church bells or display crosses,) recite the Torah or Evangel aloud, or make public display of their funerals and feastdays;
7- and are forbidden to build new churches.þ
CNN's update to this story is titled U.S. arrest of Iranians reportedly upsets Iraqi president.
Here's some quotes:
Well, there's the clarification we were looking for.
Could not Hugh rent a 30' Times Square billboard saying "I Told You So"? Now that would be a clarifying moment for the Administration.
'Politically delicate'? Is that how we would have described the capture of some German high command during WWII? Why are we so afraid of the Islamic world getting mad at us, as if they are not already? The Administration is trying to keep 'vast majority of moderates' from tilting away from us and towards the 'few radicals', as if there was ever any question which way they would choose.
So much for the idea that the Kurds are our allies. Or else, Talabani has let the title of President of Iraq go to his head.
Too bad his Bushness wasn't on the ballot last November: too much of innocent GOP political blood shed instead.
What a christmas present for those iranians! They are under arrest by the soldiers of the great satan. Those guys are the instigators for violence and their cronies are in the iraqi gov't.
Nothing will ever change with the muslims in Iraq. They are corrupt bunch of crooks just like Saddam Hussein.
Well there you have it.....The end.
Hugh Fitzgerald and Robert Spencer were once again were ahead of the curve on this one. Why???
Becuase unlike all the idiot vulcans and Bushites they know "Thy enemy" which should be the question you always ask before going to war.
Why does my enemy fight and for what?
How many people in the Bush administration can answer that one???
One..Two maybe...
All the ones who do answer it right will be purged becuase it will upset the pc people and their Arabian overlords.
Hell they can't even id who our allies are even otherwise we would be helping India and non-muslim Africans fight off the muslim invasion.
The world does not hate us becuase we are bringing democracy to them...they hate becuase we are beyond stupid. If you are Serb, Indian Hindu, or Ethiopian being lectured to by our state dept about "love" what whould you think???
It would be nice if the Goverment took good care of them. Do things with them to help get to know them better. Like, taking them water boarding.
Finally, verification of what has long been reported. How long are these terrorists going to get a pass? They should be sent to Guantanamo with no apologies if the evidence is sound.
greatcometof1577 said "Becuase unlike all the idiot vulcans and Bushites they know "Thy enemy" which should be the question you always ask before going to war"
Please do not insult Vulcans. The Bushites and like can hardly be equated with logic and intellect. Andorians perhaps, but never Vulcans..
"The best diplomat that I know is a fully-loaded phaser bank." -- Lt. Cdr. Montgomery Scott .USS Enterprise
Please do not insult Vulcans. The Bushites and like can hardly be equated with logic and intellect. Andorians perhaps, but never Vulcans..
Posted by: CaptainGrevious
Hahahahahahaha! God I love Jihadwatch. Smart people and funny. I agree without a doubt
I however was refering to the neo-cons like the ones who got us in this mess. They had a special secret group called the "Vulcans" that came up with the master plan for the war in Iraq. Needless to say it did not work.
Apologies to to Mr. Spock however.
Death to Sharia!!!!
"The best diplomat that I know is a fully-loaded phaser bank." -- Lt. Cdr. Montgomery Scott .USS Enterprise
"Political power comes out of the barrel of a gun." Mao Tse Tung
We are engaged in a cultural war against an enemy that seeks to destroy everything that we of West have achieved and erase every principle that upholds personal Liberty...and we are dithering over trifles.
We are in a "balls to the wall" situation and we are getting our asses kicked because we insist on fighting by Marquis of Queensbury rules.
It is time and long past time to take off the gloves.
To all here at J.W.------------
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!!!!
all that remains now, is to dig up the Sadaams WMD that are buried in Syria and Jordan. The cycle will be complete , the war official and nothing left to do short of carpet bombing that will not stop until the place looks like the surface of the moon, (the place is already half way there). Iran has been responsible for more US deaths than any other player in the region. It is Iran who does the training, provides the weapons, handles the finances and provides the ongoing hate that continues to kill innocent civilians and coalition forces.
THe handwriting is on the wall, there will be military action in Iran soon. There are allied military forces being moved around and beefed up.Targets are being plotted. Iran continues to thump the chest and swing the saber. Iran will cost millions of deaths, mostly its own people.Probably should have happened long ago.(1979?)
Keith Ellison is a dangerous man and a slug.
On my blog http://www.sheikyermami.com/
on “Pakistan Safe Haven for Taliban”
I have a poster (atheist) pestering me with stuff like this:
atheist Says:
December 26th, 2006 at 4:59 am e
that’s funny….. Pakistan has weapons of mass destruction ( nuclear ),
is harbouring known terror cells and yet we illegally invade Iraq which had no weapons of mass destruction and was the most liberal of all islamic nations in the middle east. Sounds like George W just revenge on Saddam because they tried to kill his daddy.
As a result it looks like we will end up with the most militant islamic state in the world in Iraq - a breeding ground for terrorists as well as a civil war.
Who is to blame ? the West of course for their illegal invasion. And you ask “why do they hate us ?”.
I don't know where to begin and where to end to answer such idiocy.. I thought nutroots like this were extinct...
Nothing to see here. Now move along.
Sounds like George W just revenge on Saddam because they tried to kill his daddy.
Posted by: sheik yer'mami at December 26, 2006 06:21 AM
That is the sole reason, dubya invaded Iraq even though Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were directly involved witn 9/11. In addition the first Iraq war was faught not because Iraq invaded Kuwait, but because Iraq was about to invade.. you got it... Saudi Arabia. See how deep the Bush / wahhabbi ties go? And Americans thought dubya is/was a patriotic American. ha ha. Good point, none the less, sheik yer'mami!
Personally, I think we ought to put these Iranian's heads on a stick on the border between Iran and Iraq.. Maybe they will get the message that this is their future if they mess with us.
Alert states as alot of outhers often do. This war was waged for revenge, what crap! This war was waged because Saddam refused to meet his demands from the u n. America and it's few Allies were justified to invade. And there were wmd's in Iraq. One day this will be shown. Half of the U.S. believes we should have done nothing, the outher half believes as I do. And I for one wish we would destroy them all. But I believe that Iraq is the staging ground for the battle against Iran which will commence soon. Iran moved in to Iraq at the first deployment of U.S. troops with the start of the new war.
To take a page from the ongoing political discourse here in America, what about the Consitutional rights of these captives?
Justice can not be served unless they're put on trial here in the United States, preferably in the 9th Federal Circuit. They are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, before a jury of their peers, which means an all Moslem panel.
As to their lawyer fees, thousands of activist lawyers will line up to defend these Moslem activists pro bono. After all, that's what an American law school is: an island of Marxism.
Lonewolf, two is a mere whisper at best. To send a message that will be heard and understood, Vlad Ţepeş found 20000 to be effective at Târgovişte.