US pressures Iran on different fronts
Iran-USA, Politics, 1/13/2007

While the US troops in Iraq attacked Iran's representative office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil on Thursday morning and disarmed the guard of Iran's representative office around 5:00 am and then broke the door and entered into the building, another measures were being taken.

Upon entering the office, they arrested five employees, and took away the detainees along with some computers and administrative documents to an unidentified destination without making any explanation.

In objection to such an "illegal measure" by the American troops, Iran's embassy in Baghdad dispatched a note of protest to Iraq's Foreign Ministry.

In its note, the Iranian embassy called on the Iraqi government for the immediate release of the detained staff of the country's representative office in Arbil.

Earlier, two Iranian diplomats were also detained illegally and with no explanation, upon arrival in Baghdad, while visiting Iraq in response to the invitation of the country's president.

An Iraqi Kurdish security official said that same day that US forces who raided the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi northern city of Erbil had no right to conduct the raid.

Talking to Iran's news agency on condition of anonymity, he said the government of Iraqi Kurdistan is responsible for maintaining security in the entire region. The government of Iraqi Kurdistan was in no way informed of the storming of the Iranian consulate by US forces, he said, adding that the region's security forces were cognizant of the legal activities of the Iranian consulate.
The Islamic Republic of Iran set up its consulate in Erbil upon the request of the province's governor-general to facilate exchanges of the two countries' nationals two year ago and was under the supervision of the government of this Kurdish region, the the official added.

Kurdish security forces are responsible for guarding the Iranian consulate, he said, adding that the US forces disarmed the Kurdish guards of the consulate and used force to enter the building.
US forces stormed the consulate at about 5 am (local time), arrested its five staff members and confiscated computers and documents, reliable sources said.

Erbil, a city in the Kurdish-controlled north of Iraq, is 350 kilometers (220 miles) from Baghdad.

In its protest letter, the Iranian embassy called on the Iraqi government to help obtain the immediate release of its five detained staff.

US Department Of State Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey yesterday said the raid "was done so because there was information that we had that the individuals there were associated with attempts or attacks involving -- against multinational force, against Iraqi forces. Certainly, there has also been information linking this facility to Revolutionary Guard and other Iranian elements that are there that are fomenting violence."

Casey added "So the claim that this was somehow an innocent diplomatic facility seems to ring hollow in light of that. As we also discussed with you this morning, we have both had confirmation from the Iraqi and the Iranian Government for that matter that this was not a diplomatic facility, it did not have the standing of a consulate nor did it have any other international diplomatic standing to speak of. As I understand it, there are currently five individuals in custody by the multinational force. The review of this incident and their investigation into it is continuing and frankly I'd refer you to them for any more details."

This comes as the US escalated pressure against Iran during the Bush speech, which later assured that event though Bush had warned Iran on interferring in Iraq, his remarks were explained limited to be limited to Iranian action inside Iraq.

The pressure also came from the UN in financial form. Bank Sepah of Iran (BSI) issued a statement on Thursday, dismissing the baseless and false charges brought up against Iran by the US Department of the Treasury. The statement underlined that the decisions of US officials to impose restrictions on BSI dollar transactions under illusive and unjustifiable pretexts will affect neither BSI exchanges nor its financial commitments.According to the document, BSI is determined to legally pursue the issue in future.
"Such a decision taken by US officials on political grounds is an indication of a general scenario drawn up against the national interests of an independent country.

"Obviously, it will not leave any impact on or restrict the ongoing transactions. Neither will it influence the nature of implementation of BSI current and future financial commitments," he added.
The statement pointed to BSI as the first Iranian bank and said that ever since its establishment in 1925, it has been rendering transparent banking services, based on internationally acceptable banking principles and regulations, both on the domestic as well as world scene, and it will go on in the same way in future.

The document assured its clients that it will continue its full banking services in the country and beyond the national borders.

A senior Syrian official on Saturday described the US troops' raid on Iran's consulate in Erbil, Kurdestan province of Iraq as a "provocative move" which will harm Iran-Iraq relations.
Head of the Strategic Studies of Syrian Foreign Ministry Samir Al-Taqi said that the move was part of US plots to foment crisis in Iraq.

Iran's Ambassador to Tokyo Mohsen Talaei said today that the recent US raid on Iran's consulate in the Iraqi city of Erbil and the kidnapping of five of its staff is violation of all international convention and laws which proves the country's inability and weakness in the political arena.

Iran Parliament deputy from Doroud and Azna Hossein Papie called the recent US attack on Iran's consulate in Erbil as blatant violation of human rights and international laws.
Hee strongly condemned the US move and called for international gatherings to seriously deal with violation of international laws.
The US seeks to exert more pressure on Iran and create crisis and insecurity among Iraq's neighbors, he underlined.

Aother Iran Parliament deputy today said that US behavior and performance in Iraq which are against international law, rules and regulations are predictable taking into account Washington's past.
The MP from the northwestern cities of Tabriz, Azarshahr and Osku, Mohammad-Hossein Farhangi said.
He condemned the US raid on Iran's consulate in the Iraqi city of Erbil, saying such moves can be expected from the US presence in the region.

He added: "The US move which violated the authority of the Iraqi government makes Baghdad its colony and such moves against international law, rules and regulations are taken whenever it wishes."

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki yesterday condemned the US raid on Iran's Consulate General in Erbil, saying such an attempt runs contrary to the Vienna Convention.
He also told Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zibari on phone that it was a blatant intervention in the relations of Iran and Iraq.
Mottaki referred to summoning of Swiss and Iraqi envoys to the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the responsibility of the government of Iraq in this regard.
He also demanded serious action for release of the consulate's staff in Erbil kidnapped in the raid on Thursday.

Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement yesterdy and called the US troops raid on an Iranian consulate in the city of Arbil, north of Iraq, " absolutely unacceptable" and " Violation of international law."
It said, "The US forces action is an abuse of the UN Security Council authorization to the multi-national forces to provide security in Iraq."

A group of Tehrani Friday prayers worshipers condemned the US military raid on Iranian consulate building in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil. Chanting slogans such as "Death to arrogance," "Death to Israel," "Death to US," the demonstrators called for immediate release of Iranians detained during the operation.

The leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament, Graham Watson, condemned the raid by US occupation forces on the Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil Thursday.

"If an American consulate were stormed by a foreign power, there would be a public outcry. The US attack on the Iranian consulate in Arbil, Iraq, is an unjustifiable provocation in an increasingly tense region," said Watson.

Previous Stories:
  Talking with Iran can stop Iraq sliding into regional war, NIAC   (1/6/2007)
  Iran: US, UK foment sectarian differences in Iraq   (1/6/2007)
  US plans for Persian Gulf naval build-up to warn Iran   (12/23/2006)

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