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| Iraq |
| Iran smuggling missiles into Iraq: US military |
| 2007-09-24 |
| Iran is smuggling advanced weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, into Iraq to be used by extremists against American troops, the US military charged on Sunday. US military spokesman Rear Admiral Mark Fox told reporters in Baghdad that Iran was shifting sophisticated arms such as “RPG-29s, explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs), 240-mm rockets and Misagh-1 surface-to-air missiles” across its borders into Iraq. Fox reiterated that Iranian national Mahmudi Farhadi, detained on Thursday in the northern province of Sulaimaniyah, is one of the kingpins in the bomb smuggling operations. “He is a member of the Ramazan Corps, the Quds Force department responsible for all operations in Iraq,” Fox said. “We are fulfilling our professional responsibility to detain those individuals who are smuggling these illegal weapons into Iraq,” he added. Iran insists that Farhadi is a civilian official on a visit to Iraq as part of a trade delegation. On Saturday, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who says Farhadi is a known businessman and not a bomb smuggler, wrote a stern letter to top US officials in Iraq to demand that he be released. US military spokesman Major Winfield Danielson told AFP on Sunday that Farhadi was still being interrogated. “We are questioning the individual regarding his knowledge of, and involvement in, the transportation of improvised explosive devices and EFPs from Iran into Iraq, and his role in facilitating travel and training in Iran for Iraqi insurgents,” he said. “We have not yet determined if charges will be filed.” |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 Nope. Heads of State get diplomatic immunity when they go visiting. Else President Bush wouldn't ever be able to land Air Force 1 outside U.S. borders for fear of an overzealous Belgian or French or German prosecutor. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-09-24 23:07 |
| #6 Couldn't an enterprising DA arrest and indict dinnerjacket on an aiding terrorst charge? I can't imagine we can't make an argument against immunity or just ignore it to throw him in Rikers. Let him out later if need be. Or, how about the US disappear the ENTIRE traveling party from his hotel while he's here? Just have the State department announce they have requested political asylum and no further comments. Or... Don't some of the ex-Iran Hostages have outstanding judgments against Iran? If so, can they impound the Iran Airways 747 he flew in on. I can't see how immunity coiuld apply here as objects don't have rights. See seizures, case in USA. Any thoughts? |
| Posted by: jds 2007-09-24 15:25 |
| #5 When he's released, also release leaks that his release was because of how cooperative he was. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-09-24 11:14 |
| #4 So long as Mr. Farhadi has revealed everything he knows, and his laptop and cell phone as well, it doesn't matter whether he stays or gets sent home. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-09-24 10:52 |
| #3 Don't be surprised 3dc when we get the news that Farhadi has been released, upon further investigation of his visiting status. The Rules of Engagement are softened while the US continues to pursue diplomatic 'surging', despite the mounting losses to the US's troops. However I smell a soft walking big stick carrying development of US policy in the air! |
| Posted by: smn 2007-09-24 03:11 |
| #2 FREEREPUBLIC > KHAMEINI > "HIT AND RUN" ATTACK ON IRAN IS IMPOSSIBLE. D *** NG IT, IRAN DEMANDS TO BE INVADED BY THE USA! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-09-24 03:03 |
| #1 no arty fire at the Qods force like Iran does on the PKK? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-09-24 00:17 |