Bush's first step toward confronting Iran; raids consulate

Iran could consider this action as an attack against Iran because consulates are, under international law, considered to be land of the consulate's country. All you have to remember is Iran's invasion of our US embassy and the holding of US personel hostages. ---BBB

U.S. Forces Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq, Detain 5
By Marc Wolfensberger and Robin Stringer
Jan. 11 (Bloomberg)

U.S. forces in Iraq raided Iran's consulate in the northern city of Arbil and detained five staff members, a state-run Iranian news service said.

The U.S. soldiers disarmed guards and broke open the consulate's gate before seizing documents and computers during the operation, which took place today at about 5 a.m. local time, the Islamic Republic News Agency said. There was no immediate information on whether any of those detained are diplomats.

The raid follows a warning yesterday to Iran and Syria from President George W. Bush in his address to the American people on a new strategy for Iraq. Bush accused Iran and Syria of aiding the movement of ``terrorists and insurgents'' in and out of Iraq and said the U.S. will ``seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies.''

Coalition forces arrested six people during ``routine security operations'' in the Arbil area, the U.S. military said in an e-mailed statement. The military didn't confirm that the consulate was raided and didn't say whether any of those detained were Iranians.

The operation was ``part of an ongoing effort by coalition forces targeting individuals involved in activities aimed at the killing of Iraqi citizens and coalition forces,'' the military said.

Arbil, about 320 kilometers north (200 miles) north of Baghdad, is the Kurdistan Regional Government's seat in Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdish area.

Iranian Protests

The Iranian Embassy in Baghdad sent a letter of protest to the Foreign Ministry, calling for the Iraqi government to secure the release of the detainees, IRNA said.

U.S. forces detained two Iranian diplomats in Baghdad in December. The men, suspected of weapons smuggling, were later released to Iranian officials in the capital.

Deputy White House Press Secretary Scott Stanzel said on Dec. 26 those detainees had diplomatic status, and an investigation would be completed before ``characterizing their activities.''

Bush's approach to Iran and Syria ignores a key recommendation of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group -- diplomatic engagement with Iran and Syria to help end the conflict. He announced plans yesterday to send 21,500 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Iraq.

Calls to the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran weren't answered.