Iranian diplomat snatched in Iraq, Tehran blames U.S.
Diplomat snatched Sunday by 30 gunmen wearing uniforms of Iraqi army unit that works with U.S. army in Iraq.
By ReutersBAGHDAD - Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms kidnapped a senior Iranian diplomat in Baghdad, Iraqi and Iranian officials said Tuesday, and Tehran blamed the U.S. military and demanded his immediate release.
"We are dealing with this as a kidnapping," an Iraqi government official said.
The official said the diplomat, the second secretary at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad, was snatched in the central Karrada district Sunday by 30 gunmen wearing the uniforms of a special Iraqi army unit that often works with U.S. military forces in Iraq.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini blamed U.S. forces for the kidnapping of Jalal Sharafi, saying it was carried out by a group attached to Iraq's Defense Ministry "which works under the supervision of American forces."
The ministry said it had summoned the Swiss and Iraqi ambassadors to Iran to protest against the abduction. The Swiss embassy handles U.S. affairs in Iran, which has no diplomatic relations with Washington.
U.S. forces in Iraq have arrested a number of Iranians, including diplomats, in the past two months, and are still holding five Iranians. Washington accuses Tehran of aiding militants fighting U.S. forces in Iraq and U.S. President George W. Bush has vowed to disrupt such support.
"It seems that this terrorist act has been committed in the framework of Bush's order and with the goal of escalating the confrontation with Iran," Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, was quoted by Iranian state television as saying.
A U.S. military spokesman denied that U.S. forces had played a role in the incident, which comes amid tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program.
"We are not aware of any mission that even resembles this incident," a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Garver, said.
Hosseini said Sharafi was kidnapped outside a branch of Iran's Bank Melli in the Iraqi capital. The Iraqi official said the gunmen drove in four-wheel-drive vehicles and a BMW and were wearing uniforms of the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion, a special operations unit that works with U.S. forces.
The official said that police close to the scene opened fire on the gunmen and arrested six of them. Later, another security force came to the police station and said they were taking the six to the Serious Crimes building in Baghdad but the police discovered later that they never arrived there.
Non-Arab, Shi'ite Iran resumed diplomatic relations with Iraq following the ouster of Saddam Hussein and the empowerment of Iraq's Shi'ite majority after U.S.-sponsored elections.
The Iraqi government has been critical of recent raids by American forces in which Iranians working with diplomatic offices in Iraq have been detained.
Tehran denies U.S. charges it is backing militants in Iraq and blames U.S. troops for the violence and for inflaming tensions between Iraq's majority Shi'ite and once dominant Sunni Arabs.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
The U.S. sent frigates and aircraft carriers to the Persian Gulf. One more aircraft carrier is on its way. A new U.S. policy instructs its military to kill Iranians in Iraq. A high ranking Iranian official is kidnapped by and Iraqi force that reports to U.S forces. Should the Iranians retaliate, the U.S. will have its pretex to attack Iran. President Bush acts compulsively and without regard to the dire consequences that his action may cause. He is arrogant, stupid and at the same time, the most dangereous person on the face of this planet.
No, I just believe that the war is wrong, has always been wrong, and you are right that the Sunnis may not have much love for Iran, but Iran has far more support in Iraq, where it is 60 percent Shia than the Americans, and one thing is for sure, whether its sunni or Shia, they both dislike the US, in fact the whole region does! Thanks in part to our support for Israel. The american plan to subjegate the middle east by force could not have been successful, only a fool who lacks any knowledge of the history of the region and the arabs would venture into such a predictably catastrophic venture. The Iranians have every right to influence what happens in THEIR back yard, afterall they went to war with Sadam for 10 year, who was supported by the US and repressed the Shia, now that the Shia have power, they will not let the much oppressed bretheren lose again, they know, the Shia and Sunni know this and even the despotic Saudis know this, these fat, drunks are starting to realize this
Your probably right about that Lynn. Wouldnt be the first time something like that has been done
Iran may be trying to destabilized the region but the US IS DESTABILIZING the region!
Nick,the US has recently violated Iranian soverignty by taking over an Iranian embassy in the North of Iraq, the Iranians are quests of the Iraqi government, the reality is that Americans are not liked in the region, even US allies have to pretend that they dislike the US, but Iran is much loved in Iraq, especially in the South.
My family has been in the United States for thousands of years, I did not move here, I am from here. The US has lost its way and I have no qualms in pointing it out. We have never been as a country, a crusader nation, or one that trys to impose its ideology onto other nations as we are today.....America will lose, become a developing nation...all in my lifetime.
Nick, Iran & US' official diplomatic ties go back to the second half of 1800's. The two countries had cordial relations. However, in 1953, the CIA staged a coup that toppled the democratically elected government of iran to put back the thug Shah in power who tortured and suppresed iranians for the next 26 years. Do you know where they coordinated and implemented their vicious plans? Yep, the American Embassy in Tehran. After decades of darkness when the revolution was taking place, the embassy was taken over because of the fear of another CIA operation, justifiably. In exchange for the hostages, they demanded the return of Shah(who fled to US) and millions of dollars that the US owed Iran. Their demands were never met. You should start really thinking, why would the Iranians pick on the US embassy and not some other country's? Plus, they don't exactly pass around candy during a revolution (there's a reason behind the term).
Iranian plot. They've kidnapped their own diplomat, in order to stoke up anger at the US.
Its not the BMW, in the debathification post, its the tactic stupid. Its the 36 battalion that is operating in the shadow.
Amer, American Generals are convinced that Iran already IS killing GIs--as for the Iraqi "people" giving that luv to Iran, ask the Sunnis. Oh, btw, the US could be perfectly honest in its claim that it had nothing to do with the snatch. You see, part of this wonderful "resistance" you are encouraging is a glorious anarchy in which Iraqi blood of the wrong sort is held incredibly cheap by Iraqi gunmen who consider themselves the right sort. Weird of you however to be so gung-ho and all for the Iranians to wreck revenge. The guy a family member or something?
Amer, American Generals are convinced that Iran already IS killing GIs--as for the Iraqi "people" giving that luv to Iran, ask the Sunnis. Oh, btw, the US could be perfectly honest in its claim that it had nothing to do with the snatch. You see, part of this wonderful "resistance" you are encouraging is a glorious anarchy in which Iraqi blood of the wrong sort is held incredibly cheap by Iraqi gunmen who consider themselves the right sort. Weird of you however to be so gung-ho and all for the Iranians to wreck revenge. The guy a family member or something?
They do everything: short your sheets, steal your wife, put the cabosh on that promotion your darn tootin' right you had coming to you....
with the innocent iraqi's being killed.are you also saying iran isn't trying to destabalize iraq along with other parts of the middle east?
wouldnt be living in the us.morons like you always badmouth the united states but somehow you can overlook your hate long enough to move to the us and live there.if the united statses is so evil,why are you living there?so typical!
The Iranian attack was on the American Embassy. These are considered sovereign territory as are all foreign embassies. Iran's attack was an act of War against America and you are a fool.
and then there were none......
Does Iran really expect they can instigate kidnappings by hezbollah and hamas and remain untouched? This is their policy at work only the results are not what they expected. Just as the 'chickens are coming home to roost' among palestinians, Iran is getting a little payback.
"Recently Iranians using Iraqi uniforms sneaked through security checkpoints and killed skores of innocent people and this is just another Iranian attempt to further destabilize Iraq and escalate confrontation with the US" - kuffaar You tell very funny tale tales kuffaar. What's in your hookah?
They are very popular in the Middle East in general, especially the X5 models. More on the topic - Iran has been trying to carve out a chunk of Iran for decades. They don't care about the Iraqi Shia - its the oil in those areas they are interested in. Iran has been destabilizing the Middle East for years.
"Interesting how the USA has become a common thug" - anti-racist It is the fault of the American people. We have let our government be taken over by a bunch of gangsters.
The guy who wants a war with Iran is George Bush. He is doing everything he can to provoke it. The Boxer Expedtionary Strike Group is in the Persian Gulf, the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group is in the Gulf of Aden along with the Ashland (LSD 48). The Eisenhower is there and another carrier on the way. One can hardly use two amphibious strike groups against Iraq. . . or Afghanistan. We are sending the amphibious ships for a reason Lynn.
its about time usa gets serious with Iran. Im sure there are many more Iranian agents in IRaq stirring up trouble.
Recently Iranians using Iraqi uniforms sneaked through security checkpoints and killed skores of innocent people and this is just another Iranian attempt to further destabilize Iraq and escalate confrontation with the US. They do the same in Lebanon so there is nothing new here.The so called diplomat will be "released" save.Mark my words Mary.Don't cry for him cry for innocent people killed by Iranians operating in Iraq.Those killed have the same value like those killed by others in Iraq or am I mistaken Mary??
The difference is that they are in Iraq...the Americans where in their own country supporting the brutal dictator the Shah....the Americans choose sides and they lost, they were in Theran in their land, helping in their repression, most people would have been shot for that...IRAQ WILL BE SHITTE NOW! THANKS BUSH! (YOU MORON!) :)
Interesting how you assume it was the US. No one seems to know who took the guy. Just you and the nutcases in Iran. Probably did it themselves. Hope they do keep him for 444 days. You can sit and sulk about that.
The Iraqi people are with Iran, the vast majority, and the vast majority dislike the US, Iran already has the infrastructure within Iraq to respond in kind (a la the kidnapping and killing of 5 american soldiers)....and if they attack Iran, hit the green zone, close the straight so that no oil goes through, and have the Shitte's send an army of martyrs. One thing is for certain, that if Iran is attacked, any plans that the US had for the region are DEFINITELY OVER, from Lebanon, to Afghanistan...the Persions are in a better position. No one like the Americans...hit Iran and neither will the Iranian youth.
Absolutely! Nothing would be more fitting, than to do so; actually, let's make it 445 days!
.....releasing videos of course of him celebrating "with joy" Ramadan and so on? Then release him the day the next Iranian president takes office?
Well here we go again; I'm surprised nobody has yet come up with a 'Mossad conspiracy'! Anyway, it's faintly amusing when when the boot is on the other foot/taste of own mediceine/etc. happens to the mad mullahs. I find Mary's claim that BMWs have somehow got the hallmarks of clandestine US activity unfair; I have one of these fine quality cars, & I can assure I am not involved in kidnapping activity!! Please don't tar all BMW owners with the same brush.
What else is new? Could be whoever did this one wants a confrontation with the US and Iran.
----The Iraqi official said the gunmen drove in four-wheel-drive vehicles and a BMW and were wearing uniforms of the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion, a special operations unit that works with U.S. forces.---- Are these the same people who are in charge of the debathification? Are they responsible for the bodies that are founf in daily basis with gun shot to the head, execution style? Are these the ones who are killing any one who is of a certain age? Are we using the same strategies that we used in south america under negroponti?