U.S. Troops Stage Second Secret Raid at Iraq Airport
January 12th, 2007And nearly wind up in a gunbattle with allied Kurdish peshmerga troops?!
Via: ABC News:
In the first raid, the U.S. troops stormed a building that houses the Iranian liaison office in the northern city of Irbil at 3 a.m. local time, where they detained at least five Iranians and also confiscated computers and documents.
A nearby resident told the Associated Press that the troops used stun bombs in the raid and had helicopters flying overhead as they went through the two-story yellow house.
In the second raid, staged later in the day, U.S. troops attempted to abduct more people from inside the perimeter of Irbil airport, but were surrounded by Kurdish peshmerga troops.
“This group has come from nowhere,” Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told ABC News. “They were unwilling to reveal their identity and entered the airport, which is a very sensitive area, and there was a response by the local forces.”
Both sides were heavily armed, and shooting very nearly broke out. “There weren’t any casualties, but it was a split second really for a disaster to happen. This has created a great deal of anxiety,” said Zebari.
‘Delicate Situation’
It is unclear where the U.S. troops came from — even local U.S. officials contacted by the Kurdish authorities had no knowledge of the armed men.
The American military later issued a statement saying it had detained six people in a raid in Irbil, but did not specify their nationality or give any other information about the raids.
The raids came within hours of President Bush’s speech about future U.S. policy in Iraq, which included a pledge to “interrupt the flow of support from Iran” for anti-U.S. forces in Iraq.
Kevin,
In an attempt to be droll here: the Republicans REALLY have a CONSONANT problem, something about IRAN versus IRAQ.
Anyways what hoot, except I am not laughing but had an ear ache and a neck spasm that lasted througout the day after reading your post this a.m. re U.S. invading the Iranian embassy in IRAQ.
I just wish I could be at my safe place, getting PREPARED.
I signed numerous petitions in the last week against the “surge” in IRAQ.
Look what I got back (BELOW) from the single bullet theorist himself: ARLEN SPECTER – but it was about IRAN!!!I wrote back to him and said this was the same BS letter I got from Santorum when I protested the war in IRAQ!
FALSE FLAG ATTACK INDEED. I SAY LOOK FOR IT THIS WEEKEND!! Bush’s talk about a surge in Iraq is a blue serge suit to cover his ass for a new war in IRAN!!!
The line “Talks with people” in the letter below takes the cake. Like in the olden times, I guess we should just put our heads under the desk and put our hands over our ears.
Dear Ms. Ethel:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding Iran ‘s nuclear activities. I appreciate hearing from you.
In 2002, Iranian dissidents and inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that Iran has been secretly conducting a nuclear research program. Although Iran claims that this program is directed solely toward peaceful energy production, the fact that this program was conducted in secret and that Iran is a known supporter of certain terrorist organizations has caused many to question Iran’s true intentions.
The U.S. has not maintained diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980. Nevertheless, on May 31, 2006, the Bush Administration offered to join ongoing negotiations being conducted with Iran by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, provided Iran first suspend its uranium enrichment activities. On June 6, 2006, Iran was presented with a package of incentives agreed to by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany , designed to persuade Iran to suspend uranium enrichment. Regrettably, the Iranian government has thus far rejected these overtures, resulting in a Security Council decision to impose sanctions on Iran aimed at halting Iran’s nuclear program.
I applaud the Administration for its decision to open the possibility of direct negotiations with Iran , and urge the Iranians to suspend their nuclear activities. However, I believe that the U.S. ought to be willing to enter a dialogue with the Iranians without preconditions. Terrorism, military nuclear capabilities, energy, Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma are all major issues which are intrinsically linked with Iran . None can be addressed or resolved without appreciation for Iran ‘s role in each. As former Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage stated, “we ought to be willing to have enough confidence in our ability as diplomats to go eye to eye with people, even though we disagree in the strongest possible way, and come away without losing anything.”
In my opinion, talks with people, even our toughest adversaries, can lead to positive results. At the height of the Cold War, President Reagan invited Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev to a dialogue within weeks of branding the U.S.S.R. as the “evil empire.” If we were willing to negotiate with the Soviets, I believe we should also be willing to have open discussions with the Iranians. On October 27, 2006, I met in New York with Iran ‘s Ambassador to the United Nations. During this meeting we discussed the need for a dialogue between our governments. I believe an offer of unconditional negotiations with the Iranians, may lead to a softening of their determination to become a nuclear power and open a window, which could lead to the resolution of other issues that divide us.
Thank you again for writing. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website at http://specter.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
Arlen Specter