US raid on Iranian Liason Office in Arbil

US raid on Iranian Liaison Office in Arbil refers to the events of 11 January 2007 when the United States Military raided the Iranian Liaison Office (which was in the process of becoming accredited as an officially recognized Consul General)citation|url=http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/Iran%20S200728.pdf|title=Letter dated 19 January 2007 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General|date=22 January 2007|publisher=United Nations|id=A/61/706–S/2007/28|accessdate=2008-05-05] in Arbil, Iraq, intending to detain two senior Iranian officials but capturing five mid-level diplomats instead.cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/20/AR2007062001456.html|title=U.S. Refuses to Free 5 Captured Iranians Until at Least October|author=Robin Wright|publisher=Washington Post|date=June 21, 2007|accessdate=2008-05-05] The U.S. government's position is that the office was used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a local headquarters. However, both Iranian and Kurdish Autonomous Region officials state that it was a diplomatic mission in the city of Arbil (Irbil) in northern Iraq.cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/07/africa/ME-GEN-Iraq-US-Iran-Prisoners.php|title=Kurdish leader: US sought to capture Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials in Irbil raid|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=2007-04-06|accessdate=2007-04-07] cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011100427.html|title=U.S. Troops Raid 2 Iranian Targets in Iraq, Detain 5 People|author=Robin Wright and Nancy Trejos|publisher=Washington Post|date=2007-01-12|accessdate=2007-04-07] [cite news|url=http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0111/breaking17.htm|title=US raids Iranian consulate in Iraq|date=2007-01-11|publisher=ireland.com|accessdate=2008-05-05] As of February 13, 2008 [http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Iraq/214878 albawaba.com middle east news information::Iran complains about detention conditions of diplomats in US custody ] ] three of the five Iranian detainees are being held at a U.S. prison camp in Iraq. According to the United States Defense Department they are "still being interrogated" and that it has "no plans to free them while they are seen as a security risk in Iraq".cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article1572776.ece|title=Kidnapping could be traced back to arrests by US forces|author=Richard Beeston|publisher=The Times|date=2007-03-27|accessdate=2007-04-03] An International Committee of the Red Cross representative met the five Iranian employees in March and reported "they were in good health."cite news|url=http://www.alalam.ir/english/en-newspage.asp?newsid=009030120070404162240|title=Abducted Iranians to Meet Iran Envoy|publisher=Alalam News|date=2007-04-04|accessdate=2007-04-07] However, this claim has been doubted by the families of the captured workers, stating they worry about the circumstances they are in, and whether they might be under prolonged torture by Americans to acquire false confessions. [mms://217.218.67.244/presstv/070517/diplomats.wmv] After its first consular meeting with the captives, Iran announced that the " [detainees] have complained about their kidnapping, the US attitude and non-observance of international regulations."

The Iranian consular officers are: Naser Bagheri, Mousa Chegini, Abbas Hatami Kakavand, Hamid Askari Shokouh and Majid Ghaemi. In November 9 2007, United States released two Iranian diplomats after 305 days. [http://www.radiozamaneh.info/news/2007/11/_9_1.html رادیو زمانه | خبر اول | ايران و آمريکا | 9 ایرانی از زندان آمریکا در عراق آزاد شدند ] ]

tatus of office

The Iranian liaison office in Arbil has been active and operating since 1992. The various governments dispute the exact status of the office.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, the detained Iranians had been working in Arbil with official sanction, and the liaison office was in the process to become a full consulate, however the office was yet to be classified as a consulate with diplomatic protection.cite news|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/January/middleeast_January262.xml&section=middleeast&col= |publisher=Khaleej Times Online|work=AFP|title=US says its has proof Iran is interfering in Iraq|date=25 January 2007|accessdate=2008-05-05] [cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1247222,00.html|title=Arrests 'Violated Law'|date=January 12, 2007|publisher=Sky News|accessdate=2008-05-05]

Iran states that based on an agreement between the Governments of Iran and Iraq its status was officially changed to a Consulate General, and official "note verbale" (diplomatic notes) were exchanged between the two countries accordingly. According to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations consulates enjoy immunity and all members of the U.N. have to respect such immunity.

Officials of the Kurdistan Regional Government said that consular activities, such as the issuance of visas, had been carried out by the office staff since 1992, and they were treated as if they were accredited diplomats. [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IC31Ak04.html US silent on detained Iranians] , Asia Times, 31 March 2007]

The U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the detainees were not diplomats.

Iraqi response

In a report which was later confirmed by Massoud Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6538988,00.html Kurd: U.S. Sought Other Iranians in Raid] , The Guardian, April 7, 2007] The Independent noted that instead of the current captives, the U.S. had hoped to capture the deputy head of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohammed Jafari, and chief of intelligence of the IRGC, General Manuchehr Frouzandeh, who were on an official visit to Iraq to improve co-operation in the area of bilateral security, during which they met the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Barzani stated: "They (the commanders) came here and they came openly. Their meetings with the president and myself were reported on television. The Americans came to detain this delegation, not the people in the office. They came to the wrong place at the wrong time." It was also reported that U.S. troops attempted to detain people at the Arbil airport that same day, but that Kurdish forces intervened. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said that there was almost a confrontation between U.S. and Kurdish troops at the airport but that "a massacre was avoided at the last minute."

Capture

This is not the first time the United States has arrested alleged IRGC members in Iraq. A few weeks before, U.S. forces in Iraq released alleged Iranian IRGC members (29 December 2006) who were detained for alleged weapons smuggling after a raid conducted 21 December in Baghdad. [ [http://www.indiadaily.com/breaking_news/84145.asp IndiaDaily ] ] cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6216455.stm|title=US frees detained Iran diplomats|date=29 December 2006|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-05-05]

The raid took place within hours of U.S. President George W. Bush claiming "Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops" in an address to the nation.cite news|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2414760.ece|title=The botched US raid that led to the hostage crisis|author=Patrick Cockburn|publisher=The Independent|date=2007-04-03|accessdate=2007-04-03]

According to Iranian officials, five U.S. helicopters landed on the roof of the liaison office in Arbil. U.S. soldiers entered the building, detained five people and took away materials. [http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=354288&catid=0] The raid occurred between 3 to 5 a.m., when the U.S. troops entered the liaison office after disarming the guards.

According to two Kurdish officials multinational forces detained as many as six Iranians in an overnight raid on Tehran's liaison office in Arbil, just hours after George W. Bush gave details about his new military plan for Iraq. The forces stormed the Iranian office at about 3 a.m., detaining the five staffers and confiscating computers and documents, two senior local Kurdish officials said. [ [http://www.yorkdispatch.com/nationworld/ci_4992823 York Dispatch - Iraqi officials say multinational forces detained Iranian staffers from Tehran's consulate ] ]

Under Iraqi law, detainees identified as insurgents should be charged in civilian courts. They may be held up to 14 days before being brought before a magistrate. These requirements appear to be systematically ignored in practice. In this incident, the Iraqi government rejects that the detainees were helping insurgents.

Reactions

Masoud Barzani condemned the capture and demanded the quick release of Iranians. [ [http://www.baztab.ir/news/57601.php بارزاني و دستور محاصره نظاميان آمريكا براي آزادي سريع ديپلمات‌هاي ايران ] ] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6338889,00.html] ] Kurdistani government was reportedly unaware of the US plans to raid the Iranian liaison office and did not know the purpose of the operation. After raiding the office, the US forces headed for Eikawa district, which hosts foreign companies and countries' representatives. Security forces of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) reportedly surrounded three US military vehicles to prevent them from further action. [http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=28059 WordPress › Error ] ]

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told state-run radio the raid was against a diplomatic mission since the presence of Iranian staffers in Arbil was legal. Hosseini said the action by coalition forces reflected a continuation of pressure on Iran, aiming to "create tension" between Iraq and its neighbors. [ [http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/01/11/ap3322132.html] ]

In Tehran, Iran summoned the ambassadors of Iraq and Switzerland (which represents US interests in Iran) over the consulate raid.

The UN Secretary General's described the incident as "disputes between individual states". A UN spokesman said "We've left it to the respective countries to work it out among themselves ... Ultimately it's up to Security Council members themselves to determine how its resolutions get implemented."

On March 10 at a meeting of envoys in Baghdad the Iranian delegation raised the issue of the five detained Iranians. A US spokesman said that Iraq had asked the US side to investigate the circumstances involving the detention. Iran says it was assured by Iraq that the five would be released by March 21, the Iranian new year. [ [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b9422276-dd47-11db-8d42-000b5df10621.html Mideast security talks face delay] , Financial Times, 28 March 2007]

Some claim that the increased diplomatic tension created by this incident lead to the Iranian seizure of 15 Royal Navy personnel in a border dispute two months later.

Release

In November 9 2007, United States released two of the detainees (after 305 days) as well as 7 other Iranian citizens. The other seven Iranians being freed had been picked up in different parts of the country and held for periods ranging between three months and three years.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7086402.stm|title=US releases nine Iranians in Iraq|date=9 November 2007|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-05-05] Here is the list of those who were released:

* Mousa Chegini
* Hamid Reza Askari
* Adel Moradi
* Mohammad Ali Ahmadi
* Ebrahim Mowlaei
* Raed Saeedi
* Azam Karami
* Habib Ghorbani
* Mohammad Jafar Makki Mohammad

"The release followed a careful review of individual records to determine if they posed a security threat to Iraq, and if their detention was of continued intelligence value," the American officials said in a statement.

ee also

*United States-Iran relations
*2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel
*Baghdad kidnapping of Iranian diplomat (February 2007)
*Iran hostage crisis
*Iranian diplomats kidnapping (1982)
*Kill or Capture strategy

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/news/story/2007/01/070111_he-iran-arbil.shtml United states troops raided an Iranian consular office] (BBC Persian)
* [http://www.baztab.ir/news/57601.php Kidnapping of Iranian diplomats] (in Persian)
* [http://www.alalam.ir/english/en-newspage.asp?newsid=018030120070111111524 Iran Slams US Abduction of Consulate Staff]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011100248.html U.S. forces raid Iranian consulate in Iraq] (Washington Post)
* [http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?sub=1790 Iran confirms U.S. kidnap of 5 Iranian consulate staff in Iraq]
* [http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=354288&catid=0 Iran Protests Consulate Raid In Iraq]
* [http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006110035 Iran Demands Release Of Embassy Staff Detained In Iraq]
* [http://mwcnews.net/content/view/11727/195/ US storms 'Iran consulate' in Arbil]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6338889,00.html U.S. Detains 6 Iranians in Irbil Raid] (Guardian Unlimited)
* [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a90DLQrWr.YY&refer=us U.S. Forces Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq, Detain 5 (Update2)] - Bloomberg News
* [http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1242138.php/ US forces storm Iranian consulate in Arbil, arrest five]