U.S. Troops Detain Iranians
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - American troops raided a Baghdad hotel Tuesday night and took away a group of about 10 people that a U.S.-funded radio station said included six members of an Iranian delegation here to negotiate contracts with Iraq’s government.
The Iranian Embassy did not confirm the report. But it said seven Iranians—an embassy employee and six members of a delegation from Iran’s Electricity Ministry—were staying at the Sheraton Ishtar Hotel, which was the one raided by U.S. soldiers.
An arrest of Iranian officials would add to tensions between Washington and Tehran already strained by the detention of each other’s citizens as well as U.S. accusations of Iranian involvement in Iraq’s violence and alleged Iranian efforts to develop nuclear bombs.
Videotape shot Tuesday night by Associated Press Television News showed U.S. troops leading about 10 blindfolded and handcuffed men out of the hotel in central Baghdad. Other soldiers carried out what appeared to be luggage and at least one briefcase and a laptop computer bag.
A U.S. military spokesman, Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, declined to comment, saying the action was part of an operation that had not been completed. In Washington, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said, “I’ve seen that report but I can’t verify it.”
The Internet site of Radio Sawa, an Arabic language station financed by the United States, said Iranian officials were detained and taken to an unknown location. It said the Iranian delegation was in Baghdad to negotiate contracts on electric power stations.
An Iranian diplomat told The Associated Press that the Iranian Embassy had notified Iraqi authorities about the Radio Sawa report. The diplomat refused to give his name.
Iran has constantly complained about the U.S. detention since Jan. 11 of five Iranians who were in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil. U.S. officials say the five include the operations chief and other members of Iran’s elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants.
The Iranian regime denies any involvement in the violence wracking its neighbor.
U.S. authorities are unhappy about Iran’s arrest of four people with dual American-Iranian citizenship for allegedly seeking to undermine the Islamic republic’s security. Two are imprisoned in Iran, while two are free but barred from leaving the country.
Relations also are edgy over the suspicions of the U.S. and its allies that Tehran is using its civilian nuclear power program as a screen to develop atomic weapons. Iran denies that, saying the program only has the peaceful aim of generating electricity.
The strains have many people in the region worried about the possibility of fighting between the U.S. and Iran.
But while making his latest defense of Iran’s nuclear program earlier Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the possibility of any U.S. military action against Iran, saying Washington has no plan and is not in a position to take such action.
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Relations are strained between the US in Iran? Oh how sad…
August 28th, 2007 at 4:41 pmI’d like to strain them some more by taking these so-called diplomats to a nice quiet place and ask them a few questions..Maybe go for a nice water ride…Or spend a little time getting to know our environmental friendly friends at the local fire ant colony….
the ROK-MARINES would take em up in a helo to about 2500′ and ask questions, if the answer wasn’t what was wanted,hmmmmm out the would go,, one at a time,,,spys get the same treatment,,
August 28th, 2007 at 6:54 pmOr…Start with the helo at 10 ft., then up to 20 ft., increasing 10 ft. each time they refuse to answer.
August 28th, 2007 at 7:02 pm“Ahmadinejad dismissed the possibility of any U.S. military action against Iran, saying Washington has no plan and is not in a position to take such action.”
Guess again dinnerjacket. Bet Iran has another President before we do you creepy little fascist son of a whore.
August 28th, 2007 at 7:28 pmDoes credibility matter to the US military? How come Ap has pictures of the Iranians being taken from a Hotel but they reported picking them up at a check-point? If they can’t tell where they picked them up, can we believe what they say the Iranians are about? Truth and transparancy earns trust and credibility.
August 29th, 2007 at 2:48 am