Report: U.S. Troops Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq

U.S. troops raided an Iranian consulate in northern Iraq late Wednesday night and detained several people, Iran's main news agency reported today, prompting protests from Tehran just hours after President Bush pledged to crack down on the Islamic Republic's role in Iraqi violence.

Iran released news of the raid through its Islamic Republic News Agency in a dispatch that was broadly critical of Bush's plan to deploy about 21,500 additional troops to Iraq.

The IRNA report said that U.S. forces entered the Iranian consulate in Irbil, in Iraq's Kurdish-dominated north, and seized computers, documents and other items. The report said five staff members were taken into custody.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry appealed to the Iraqi government to obtain the release of its personnel. ...

Yeah, right. Persian speak with forked tongue, again:

U.S. Detains 6 Iranians in Irbil Raid
By Qassim Abdul-Zahra {H/T: Steve Schippert)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S.-led multinational forces detained six Iranians Thursday at an Iranian government office in the northern city of Irbil, Iraqi officials said, as President Bush accused Iran and Syria of aiding militants and promised to "interrupt" the flow of support as part of his new war strategy.

The U.S. military said it had taken six people into custody in the Irbil region but made no mention of a raid on the Iranian government office.

The forces entered the building about 3 a.m., detaining the Iranians and confiscating computers and documents, two senior local Kurdish officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Irbil is a city in the Kurdish-controlled northern part of Iraq, 220 miles from Baghdad. ...

At the Pentagon, a senior U.S. military official said the building was not a consulate and did not have any diplomatic status. The six Iranians were taken in a "cordon-and-knock" operation, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. ...

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US Troops Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq
Gret Tinti

Following President Bush's pledge last night to interrupt the support of insurgents from Iran comes news today that US troops have raided an Iranian consulate in Iraq.

[...]

US officials have yet to confirm the raid, but Secretary Rice insisted this morning that the US plans to follow through on the President's promise to disrupt Iranian and Syrian influence in Iraq.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the United States is systematically trying to identify networks of people who bring weapons and explosives into the country -- a central allegation against Iran -- and will move to shut them down.

Improvised explosives have been a key source of U.S. casualties and deaths since the war began.

"We will do what is necessary for force protection," Rice said at a press conference. "Networks are identified. They are identified from intelligence and they are acted upon . . . whatever the nationality."

The dumbest reaction I've seen to this on the left is from Glenn Greenwald, whom without apparently understanding the irony of his question, asks, "Isn't it a definitive act of war for one country to storm the consulate of another, threaten to kill them if they do not surrender, and then detain six consulate officers?"

I don't know about you, but it seems that Greenwald's rather quick to side with Iran on this one. ...

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Iran: Game On
Dan Riehl

Reports out of Iraq claim that US troops raided an Iranian Consulate, confiscated documents and arrested several people. While the news is dwelling on the rhetoric of Maliki telling the Mahdi Army to disarm and Bush's speech, in which he mentioned Iran and Syria, it at least appears the administration is intent on making this initiative one of action and not just talk. As many as six Iranians are said to be detained. Iran has summoned the Iraqi and Swiss ambassadors. They're displeased. The location has been handed over to Kurdish troops. ...

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U.S. Troops Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq
Jay

This happened only hours after President Bush announced he would crack down on Iran’s involvment in Iraq’s violence. It looks like it aint just talk. (H/T) Riehl World View:

U.S. troops raided an Iranian consulate in northern Iraq late Wednesday night and detained several people, Iran’s main news agency reported today, prompting protests from Tehran just hours after President Bush pledged to crack down on the Islamic Republic’s role in Iraqi violence.

Iran released news of the raid through its Islamic Republic News Agency in a dispatch that was broadly critical of Bush’s plan to deploy about 21,500 more troops to Iraq.

The IRNA report said that U.S. forces entered the Iranian consulate in Irbil, in Iraq’s Kurdish-dominated north, and seized computers, documents and other items. The report said five staff members were taken into custody.

The Iranian foreign ministry appealed to the Iraqi government to obtain the release of its personnel.

Looks to me like the Iranians overplayed their hand. ...

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WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND
Rick Moran

In a move that is sure to cause a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth around the world – illegal though it was but OH MY GOD SO SATISFYING! – American forces raided the Iranian consulate in northern Iraq just hours after the President’s speech:

U.S. troops raided an Iranian consulate in northern Iraq late Wednesday night and detained several people, Iran’s main news agency reported today, prompting protests from Tehran just hours after President Bush pledged to crack down on the Islamic Republic’s role in Iraqi violence.

Iran released news of the raid through its Islamic Republic News Agency in a dispatch that was broadly critical of Bush’s plan to deploy about 21,500 additional troops to Iraq.

The IRNA report said that U.S. forces entered the Iranian consulate in Irbil, in Iraq’s Kurdish-dominated north, and seized computers, documents and other items. The report said five staff members were taken into custody.

Yes, I realize it is childish and churlish of me to feel this way about giving the Iranians a little payback for 1979. But there are times when indulging your natural inclinations is so right, so proper, that suppressing the higher brain functions that tell you to behave like an adult is the thing to do.

Besides, aren’t you dying to find out what’s on those computer hard drives and what was in those filing cabinets they carted away? ...

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How It Is Done
Jules Crittenden

The Washington Post reports U.S. troops raided an Iranian consulate in Iraq and seized a number of Iranians suspected of aiding the insurgency. No doubt the Iranians will squawk about the violation of diplomatic immunity, incursion on sovereign Iranian territory, international law, blah blah blah. I encourage them then to raid our embassy and consulates in Iran. ...oh yeah, we don't have any. Remember why? This is an early indicator that the gloves are in fact off, which is the key component to success in this change of strategy.

Another Washington Post report warns that sending large numbers of U.S. and Iraqi troops into trouble spots to take down militias will lead to a big urban battle and casualties. The Post, apparently not clear on the concept, seems to suggest this is a bad thing. Worst of all, it may put us in a big fight with feared militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr, who is scary and mustn't be piqued!

Meanwhile, the AP reports al-Maliki is following the Bush script and has put the Shiite militias on notice. Disarm or else. This should be taken as seriously as anything else out of al-Maliki's mouth, which is not at all. It is simply a warning to his pals to cool it for a while, the heat's on.

The good news in this is not that al-Maliki is turning on al-Sadr, but that he has just publicly given the United States the green light. ...

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U.S. troops raid Iranian consulate in Iraq, traumatize left-wing bloggers
Allahpundit

I’m pretty sure emotional injuries are actionable under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Appearing for the plaintiffs: elite snowtrooper and Bronze Star winner Capt. Rick Greenwald Ellensburg, who, per Greg Tinti, wonders if it isn’t a “definitive act of war” to go around seizing other countries’ diplomatic redoubts.

Why, yes it is, replies Moran, shivering from the irony.

Mazel tov!

A resident living near the mission said the foreign force used stun bombs in the raid and brought down an Iranian flag that was on the roof of the two-story yellow house. As the operation went on, two helicopters flew overhead, said the resident on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution.

“They took five Iranians with them and at about 7 in the morning they handed over the house to Kurdish peshmergas,” he said.

The Pentagon denies the building was a consulate. Even if it wasn’t, Iranian terrorists act on behalf of the regime. They’re all reclaimable as immunized “diplomats” if their government wants them back. ...

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As Bush Explains New Direction, US Troops Raid Iranian Consulate
Gateway Pundit

Payback!... US Raids Iranian Consulate in Erbil!
5 Iranians detained! Computers seized!

As President George W. Bush was laying out the new direction in Iraq, US troops were laying out a few employees at the Iranian Consulate in Erbil...
So much for negotiations!

The Iranian News Service is outraged at attack on their consulate and Iran is demanding the release of their employees:

Based on reliable sources, the American forces disarmed the guard of Iran's representative office around 5:00 am and then broke the door and entered into the building.

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

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It Has Begun: US Raids Iranian "Consulate" in Iraq
Kim Priestap

Well, that was fast:

TEHRAN (Reuters) - U.S. troops raided an Iranian consular office in northern Iraq on Thursday and detained five employees, the official Iranian IRNA news agency said.

It said Iran had sent a protest letter to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry about the U.S. raid in the city of Arbil.

"Around 5.00 a.m., after disarming the guards they (U.S. troops) broke into the office, without giving any explanation and arrested five employees," the official IRNA news agency reported, adding that documents and computers were seized.

CNSNews has more: ...

See also: Bush doubles down, but questions remain