US 'seizes Iranian group in Iraq'

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Seven Iranians working for the Iranian Electricity Ministry have been arrested by US forces in Baghdad, the Iranian embassy says.
...
He said the Iranians were in Baghdad in connection with the building of a power station.
...
Video footage showed soldiers leading a group of men, blindfolded and handcuffed, out of the hotel in central Baghdad.

Other soldiers were seen leaving the hotel carrying what appeared to be luggage and a laptop computer bag.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6967850.stm

[maddezmom]

1. oh christ

and then there is this:

US warns Iran over Iraq, nuclear program

Wednesday, August 29, 2007 03:31 AM
RENO, Nevada (AFP) - The United States demanded yesterday that Iran end any support for extremists in Iraq "at once" and raised the specter of a "nuclear holocaust" in the Middle East if Tehran gets atomic weapons.

US President George W. Bush branded the Islamic Republic "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism," citing its backing of Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Shiite fighters killing US troops in Iraq.

"And Iran's active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust," he told the American Legion veterans group.

"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere, and the United States is rallying friends and allies to isolate Iran's regime, to impose economic sanctions. We will confront this danger before it is too late," he said.

more:http://www.philstar.com/index.php?News%20Flash&p=54&type=2&sec=91&aid=200708298

[GrantDem]

2. Sounds familiar...

"But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."


http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/10/wbr.smoking.gun/

[Middle finga]

8. These evil bastards are itching for a fight with Iran.

they can't handle the two wars they're end now but want to open a new front. Bush equals the 21st century Hitler. The world should isolate this little evil bastard.

[jeff30997]

46. "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism,"

Of course Saudi Arabia is at the bottom of the list.:eyes:

[TwilightGardener]

3. Bad shit is starting to unfold--just got done watching Michael Ware

on CNN talking about how the US military believes Iran is ratcheting up its attacks on our troops, and then Chimpy makes vague threats today. I wish Congress was in session--we need some leaders to speak up, before bombs start falling.

[iconoclastic cat]

5. It will have begun before any of us find out it has started.

I fully expect to log on in the afternoon to see we've bombed Iran.

[sanguinivorous]

36. If we had any leaders in Congress...

...the little prick and his cronies would have been impeached and/or in jail a long time ago.

[iconoclastic cat]

4. Oh, f'ing great. nt

[The Stranger]

6. U.S. citizens need to be making their own arrests -- in Washington.

[Middle finga]

11. I agree, congress is complicit in the madness.

If we want to save this country we need to do something.

[DCKit]

7. Ummm, they didn't even bother to plant machine guns and bombs on them first???? nt

[countingbluecars]

9. But who knows

what they will find in their luggage and laptops?

[demoleft]

10. It's commonly called "provocation". n/t

[KansDem]

12. Yeah? How many Saudis have you seized, Mr. pResident???

Who are the foreign fighters in Iraq?

An NBC News analysis finds 55 percent hail from Saudi Arabia

By Lisa Myers & the NBC Investigative Unit
Updated: 7:39 p.m. CT June 20, 2005

Lisa Myers
Senior investigative correspondent

An NBC News analysis of hundreds of foreign fighters who died in Iraq over the last two years reveals that a majority came from the same country as most of the 9/11 hijackers — Saudi Arabia.

Among the suicide bombers was Ahmed al-Ghamdi, a one-time medical student and son of a Saudi diplomat. In December 2004, he climbed into a truck in Mosul and blew himself up.

On an Internet video, another Saudi says goodbye to his mother, then drives an ambulance full of explosives into a building.

They are among more than 400 militants from 21 countries whose deaths were celebrated on Islamic Web sites over the last two years.

"By far the nationality that comes up over and over again is Saudi Arabia," says Evan Kohlmann, an NBC News terrorism expert.

--more--
MSNBC

Saudi Arabia, Mr. pResident? Saudi Arabia? They were the ones who attacked us on 9/11!!! That's right, Mr. pResident, 15 of the 19 attackers on 9/11 carried Saudi passports. Your pals; your business partners. But yet, like the stupid piss-ant you are, you attack Iraq!!! Now you want to attack Iran!!! GO **** YOURSELF, MR. pRESIDENT!!!

[The Stranger]

16. He actually had a couple hundred in a concentration camp in Cuba.

Who in the fuck is "Evan Kohlmann" and how did he become a "terrorism expert"?

[Henny Penny]

13. Shit. I was hoping W would just limp through till the end of

his term (failing impeachment) and Iran would remain unscathed. But now I'm beginning to get a bad feeling.

"Al-Hayat comments in Arabic on this NYT story that the number of detainees held by the US military in Iraq has risen from 19,000 to 24,400 in the course of the surge. Of these over 24,000, 85% are Sunni Arabs (20,740 of the current total). These numbers make absurd the comments of some US officers that the Shiite militias are as big a threat as the Sunni Salafi 'insurgents,' or that Iran is the major trouble maker in Iraq.

Indeed, since most Mahdi Army fighters deeply dislike Iran, those 15% in custody from among the Iraqi Shiites probably represent Iraqi nativists.

I read 85 percent of detainees being Sunni as meaning that most attacks were in Sunni Arab neighborhoods and so those arrested were from that community. Iran is not backing Iraqi Sunni Arabs because it could not do so without essentially collaborating in attacks on Iraqi Shiites (it is a different situation than Palestine, where there are no Shiites and there therefore is no downside to supporting Hamas).

The NYT says that of the 24,400, only 1800 openly say that they are "al-Qaeda." That is about 7 percent of the whole. Another 6,000, or about a fourth, say they are takfiris, i.e. Salafis who are willing to excommunicate Shiites from Islam and to declare them non-Muslims."

www.juancole.com

Just in case anyone tries to tell you Iran is behind the trouble in Iraq.....

[Peregrine Took]

30. No, he's too batsh*t insane to do that. 'Wants to leave his name in the history

books as a true, 24 caret lunatic.

[Gregorian]

14. Hey Bush, Bin Laden is not in Baghdad.

And I would bet anything that those Iranians were each given a million bucks to play their role in this charade. Just a guess.

[olddad56]

17. Why doesn't Bush hire O.J. to help find the real Bin Laden.

[Amonester]

41. bin Forgotten ain't in Baghdad, but the Junta written oil law is...

And it hasn't been made 'legal' yet...

Don't expect any withdrawal plan before THAT happens (and that will never happen...).

[daleo]

15. Iranians are helping Iraq get their electrical power working

Can't have that - it would show up Bush.

[Auntie Bush]

18. The arrests happened in January...why is it big news today?

Just to stir up the pot of fear?

[tekisui]

19. these are seven new arrests. The five from Jan. are still in custody

thsese new ones are from Iranian Electricity Ministry. The ones in Jan. were reported to be from Iran's Revolutionary Gaurd, training insurgents.

[Zodiak]

20. you forgot to add "thanks for playing"

Intresting how skeptics are quick to accuse others of dirty deeds without checking the basis of their argument first.

[bjobotts]

21. Bush is doing everything possible to provoke a war with Iran

Bush plans to attack in the fall if congress doesn't stop him. More mass murder of innocent Iranians caught in the bombing just like in Iraq.
Why can't they find a way to stop him?
Congress can't even get Bush to admit he "won't" attack Iran without congressional approval. They need to demand it NOW. Make Bush announce his intentions or get him to agree not to attack without approval. Number one priority.

[Amonester]

38. The 'current' Congress already gave herr bu$che carte blanche

to go murder thousands of 'new' innocents in Iran whenever that sociopath will feel like.

It's too late now. They failed at that too.

Besides, Baghdadians get an average of one hour/day electric power...

The junta don't want them to ever have more...

[NinetySix]

22. The seven were led out wearing BLINDFOLDS?

You mean like this?






I think this is clearly intended a) to provoke, but more importantly, b) to recall and revisit the humiliation of 1979. The Cons have never gotten over that bit of business, and despite their subsequent, illicit dealings with the Iranians, have never forgiven them for it. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and they're serving up a heaping helping. Look for seconds as well.

Just goes to show what kind of minds we're dealing with. (Thank God the adults are back in charge?!?)


ed: added another photo of the Iranian blindfolds

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

23. Watched PBS tonight

I saw a clip of Bush giving a speech today.
On an emotional level it was very frightening. He was speaking about authorizing our Military on Iran. Visually, and on an emotional level, as I said, He Was Hitler

[Frisbee]

24. I'll be...

I'll be (pleasantly) amazed if we make it though this year without some form of attack on Iran. Congress needs to Impeach NOW if only to distract the evil son-of-a-bitch (and his puppeteer). Not that there aren't a hundred reasons, and sufficient grounds.

[Roland99]

25. And the 5 Iranians "arrested" and held since Jan.? Must be some bad dudes.

:eyes:


Another almost "Gulf of Tonkin" event.... not unlike the increased British and American bombings of Iraq prior to the invasion to prod Saddam into action.

[mac56]

26. Wag the dog, much?!

Good lord.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

27. this is right up there with capturing cuban construction workers in Grenada,

[HuffleClaw]

28. anoteher blatantly criminal provocation yet again

next we'll hear about the 'terrorists' who were captured...

[Peregrine Took]

29. Is he insane? YES, I think he's insane!!! n/t

[liberation]

31. Gotta love the US and our gold fish-like short term memories...

... as far as tallies go, the US has killed more Iranian people than vice versa, sooooo applying our prez twisted logic, Iran should have free range when retaliating for this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655


I think the US is a bit... how do you say it, hypocritical.

[NastyDiaper]

32. * will have the Russians Launching.

CHIMPEACH NOW!

[TheWatcher]

33. We might as well face it.

They are GOING to attack Iran.

It doesn't matter if we have the forces or the capability to do it or not.

It does not matter if it is feasible.

It does not matter whether the people want it or not.

It does not matter what the rest of the World thinks.

This is a Rogue government, and it will do as it pleases until it is stopped.

[percussivemadness]

34. now you anti-impeachment people may start to appreciate the urgency of Congress Impeaching

Bush is criminally insane and we will all be dead in World War 3 if impeachment proceedings aren`t introduced the day Congress gets back.

Peace

[superkia]

35. More innocent people to die for money soon, very soon!

Bush sounded pissed and like he is on another killing mission.

[Vilis Veritas]

37. Welcome to the Machine. n/t

[graywarrior]

39. We have a maniac in the whitehouse and cowards in congress.

[Danger Mouse]

42. Sadly, the cowards remark is right.

Nancy Pelosi, thanks ever so fucking much for taking impeachment 'off' the table. Will you wait till Bush starts World War 3 to put it back on?

[graywarrior]

43. Either they know something we don't, or they know something else we don't.

[Amonester]

44. Nancy Pelosi is complicit. She wants WW3 too. n/t

[graywarrior]

45. Every one of them has made money off this war.

They don't care what we think. Two huge demonstrations took place over the weekend and not one reference on tv. They're all in it together. I don't trust any of them.

[Danger Mouse]

48. So everyone is against us. Congress, the media, and the Executive.

What the hell do we do, then? What the hell is left for us?

[Danger Mouse]

40. Like a schoolyard bully, Bush keeps shoving Iran, shoving and shoving...

hoping for the day when Iran has enough and shoves back.
I don't want to see innocent Iranians killed because of this fucker. :cry: Enough is enough, when is Congress going to do its job and enforce the will of the PEOPLE, rather than trying to cover their own asses??

[Purveyor]

47. We citizens of the USA will be made to 'hang our heads in shame' just as the Germans did

during the post Hitler era.

Shame, shame, shame!!!

[marmar]

49. Let the blitzkrieg of bullshit begin....

Rolling out the new fall line of BS wars.... :argh:

[Danger Mouse]

50. Meet the new lies...

same as the old lies.