U.S. Says Captured Iranians Can Be Linked to Attacks

NY Times ^ | December 27, 2006 | SABRINA TAVERNISE

[VoodooEconomics]

BAGHDAD, Dec. 26 — The American military said Tuesday that it had credible evidence linking Iranians and their Iraqi associates, detained here in raids last week, to criminal activities, including attacks against American forces. Evidence also emerged that some detainees had been involved in shipments of weapons to illegal armed groups in Iraq.

[VoodooEconomics]

Iraqi leaders said last week that the site was the compound of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq’s most powerful Shiite political leaders, who met with President Bush in Washington three weeks ago. A spokesman for Mr. Hakim said he had not heard of a raid on the compound.

A careful reading of General Caldwell’s statement makes it clear, however, that the location itself was of central importance. The military gathered “specific intelligence from highly credible sources that linked individuals and locations with criminal activities,” it said. The crimes were against Iraqi civilians, security forces and Americans.

[PISANO]

Credible evidence my A$$, who gives a d@mn, this is a friggin WAR not case of mistaken identification by the police!!

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

"criminal activities,”

WTH????

shades of Jamie Gorelick in Iraq?

[b4its2late]

Did the Iraqi's let 2 of the Iranians, who had diplo status, go already? I thought I read that somewhere.

[Spok]

Any Iranians found in Iraq should be shot on sight-there's absolutely no legitimate reason for their presence.

[Billthedrill]

I'm half surprised the Times even published this. My guess is that somebody told their boy in Baghdad in private that they really do have the goods on these characters.

Anyone who is surprised at this hasn't been paying attention.

[johnny7]

Set'em on fire... then hang'em from a bridge in Falujah.

[MplsSteve]

I agree.

What are the Iranians gonna do?

Complain that we shot some of their people who were trying to start trouble in Iraq?

That'd be an admission that they are trying to stir the pot.

[stylin19a]

Iraq’s president, Jalal Talabani, had invited the two Iranians during his visit to Tehran, his spokesman said Sunday, but by Tuesday, some Iraqi officials began to question if Mr. Talabani had in fact made the invitation. His office was unavailable for comment Tuesday night.

“We know when they caught them they were doing something,” said one Iraqi official, who added that the Iranians did not appear to have formally registered with the government.

Was scratchin my head why Talibani would make an invite to Iran officials and not let the US know.
Now talabani might be backing off the "invite" statement ?

I also wonder what the "something" the Iranians were caught doing was...

[McGavin999]

An official in the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad said its diplomats had tried to see the detainees but were not allowed to, a refusal that violated international rules, the official said.

Would those be the same international rules that prohibit the development of nuclear weapons? Oh well then..........

[FlingWingFlyer]

Hopefully, the 9th Circus or SCOTUS can get these poor terrorists off the hook. The meanies in the U.S. military needs to stop picking on them.

extreme sacr/off

[McGavin999]

No, you're confusing the diplomats with the two who were captured the following day. Talibani invited the diplomats (who I am sure had some pretty dirty hands as well). The army officers were captured in the SCIRI compound.

[TheKidster]

It's time to leave Iraq, and go to Iran. Then we can go back to Iraq and i bet we'll find things a bit more peaceful, we may even find less rockets comeing into Israel via lebanon.

[freedomfiter2]

Set'em on fire... then hang'em from a bridge in Falujah.


Kill them slowly in secret, cremate them and let Iran think you still have them.

[Natural Law]

If they were not in uniform (they weren't) the Geneva Convention is pretty clear on how they are to be disposed of.

[bert]

the boy is apparently a girl.....

A bio from Yahoo.......

Sabrina Tavernise, freelance journalist
Tavernise is recognized for her depth and human insight in covering Russia for The New York Times. A gifted storyteller with a lyrical writing style, Tavernise displays enormous sensitivity and keen observation that enrich our understanding of today's Russia.

[reagan_fanatic]

What a perfect opportunity to torture the sh*t out of 'em, obtain whatever intel we can, shoot the sob's through the temple, strap the bodies onto some ICBM's then lob them back over the border into Iran.

[HardStarboard]

>>> The American military said Tuesday that it had credible evidence linking Iranians and their Iraqi associates, detained here in raids last week, to criminal activities, including attacks against American forces. <<<

This is not "criminal activity" - we are at war and these Iranians have committed acts of war against U.S. troops!!

It pains me greatly to have to point this out to the "American military". It seems they are as infected with PC'ness as Congress.

Personally, I think a bullet through their heads at sunrise is called for!

[stylin19a]

thanks....NYT..clear as mud...then the article is not clear about which they are talking about.
The paragraphs i quoted sure seem like they're writing about the diplomats.

[Billthedrill]

Ah, many thanks. That isn't exactly the resume of a war correspondent but you gotta start somewhere I guess.