Three Iranian diplomats briefly detained in Iraq

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Three Iranian diplomats briefly detained in Iraq
16 Jun 2007 10:23:09 GMT

By Alister Bull

BAGHDAD, June 16 (Reuters) - Three Iranian diplomats were
briefly detained in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Saturday,
but it played the incident down as a simple curfew break while
Tehran condemned it as the latest case of harassment.

Tension between the two longstanding foes is already high
after the arrest earlier this year of five Iranians in northern
Iraq, while Tehran is holding three U.S.-Iranian citizens on
security-related charges.

A U.S. military spokesman said three Iranian diplomats were
among a group of 10 people stopped by the Iraqi Army for
driving in east Baghdad on Thursday, despite a curfew.

-snip-

The Iranian foreign ministry said that this broke international
rules and complained that their diplomats were questioned for
hours by Americans.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KAR936139.htm