5 Iranian Officials Released by U.S.

Diplomats Held for 2.5 Years in Iraq Return Home to Hero's Welcome

(AP)  Five Iranian officials who were held in Iraq for more than two years by U.S. forces on suspicion of aiding local Shiite militants returned to Iran Sunday, where their return was hailed as a victory for Iran.

The five diplomats flew to Tehran from Iraq on Sunday and were met at the airport by a cheering crowd of onlookers who carried the men on their shoulders and put garlands of flowers around their necks.

Iran's Foreign Minster Manouchehr Mottaki in a news conference with the men that was carried by Iran's Press-TV minutes after their return welcomed the men back to Iran and praised what he described as their courageous resistance while being held in Iraq by U.S. forces.

The Iranians were detained in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil in January 2007. At the time U.S. authorities said the men included the operations chief and other members of Iran's elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. Iran denied the claim, and has described the men as diplomats who were kidnapped by U.S. forces.

U.S. officials said they handed the men over to the Iraqi government at its request because they were obliged to do so under a U.S.-Iraqi security agreement.

The U.S. State Department has said it was concerned their release could present a security threat to American troops in Iraq. The U.S. has long charged that Iran is behind much of the violence in Iraq and has been financing and assisting Shiite militias in attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said earlier that the transfer, part of a U.S.-Iraq security pact to hand over Iraqi and foreign detainees, would help improve dialogue between the U.S. and Iran after a decades-long adversarial relationship.

Iran and Iraq have enjoyed better relations after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 toppled the government of Saddam Hussein, who launched an eight-year war against Iran in the early 1980s.

Many current Iraqi leaders were in exile in Iran, and still have close ties with Tehran.

The release of the five has been portrayed in Iran as a victory for the Islamic Republic at a time when the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is under domestic and international criticism following the disputed June 12 presidential election and the ensuing government crackdown on postelection protests.

The opposition claims the election, in which Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner, was fraudulent and has staged protest rallies calling for Ahmadinejad's ouster.

Iran and the U.S. have no diplomatic relations since 1979 when militant students stormed the U.S Embassy in Tehran and took Americans there hostage for 444 days.

However, Tehran and Washington held three rounds of ambassador-level talks on security in Iraq in 2007.

[GovernmentControl]

Why does obama provide a get out of jail free card to terrorists?

Obama is the enemy.

[jwesel1]

Because their kidnapping by the US was a clear violation of the geneva accord.

[YuSoWrong]

As was the kidnapping of US diplomatic personnel by your slavemasters.

[hungry1968-16]

by 1notrub11 July 12, 2009 11:26 AM PDT
And again Hungry, WE did not release them. The Iraqis did. Perhaps they should be asked why. Oh, wait, I know ....... nevermind, it wont help






Is it because we turned them into a "functioning democracy" in accordance with the wishes of PNAC and the Heritage Foundation?

That worked out great, didn't it? Instead of having two enemies in the region that didn't like each other, and kept each other in check, we now have two nations that don't like us, and are becoming allies with each other, united against us.

Too bad Bush and his regime didn't just leave the whole region alone - we would be so much better off if he did.

[curiously1]

Bush was right on with his "Axis of Evil" speech and you all know it. They were absolutely correct with detaining islamic thugs whose only purpose in life is to kill folks of Jewish faith,Americans and westerners.
These five so called diplomats are nothing but thugs. At least bush had the guts to stand up to these bums.

[jwesel1]

And exactly what right does the US have to be in Iraq?

[YuSoWrong]

What right do you have to be on an American blog?

[Illuminated1]

They freed the Iranians?
The article states the Iraqi's freed the POW's.
U.S. authorities said the men included the operations chief and other members of Iran's elite Quds Force.

Shouldn't they have been subjected to "enhanced interrogation"?
Then sent to Guantanamo?
Where is the logic here?
They should have disappeared.

[hungry1968-16]

by The_World_Is_Watching July 12, 2009 7:26 AM PDT

These "diplomats" are terrorists al-quds operative. They are directly responsible for the death of hundreds maybe thousands of our people in Iraq.

I am embarrassed and ashamed for having a President who's so friendly with assassins and terrorists.

Obama you are a criminal, you are a shame.







Is that like the 550+ "islamic radical terrorists" that the Bush regime released from Guantanamo Bay?

Do we normally release "guilty" people from our custody?

[1notrub11]

And again Hungry, WE did not release them. The Iraqis did. Perhaps they should be asked why. Oh, wait, I know ....... nevermind, it wont help

[IThoughtItWasFunnyNOPE]

by hungry1968-16 July 12, 2009 7:37 AM PDT
by The_World_Is_Watching July 12, 2009 7:26 AM PDT

These "diplomats" are terrorists al-quds operative. They are directly responsible for the death of hundreds maybe thousands of our people in Iraq.

I am embarrassed and ashamed for having a President who's so friendly with assassins and terrorists.

Obama you are a criminal, you are a shame.







Is that like the 550+ "islamic radical terrorists" that the Bush regime released from Guantanamo Bay?

____________

Bush didn't, but certainly Obama has...wonder how many of these terrorist THUGS he's released that we don't even know about...it was WEEKS before the press even mentioned his turning over that THUG to Saudi Arabia...

[IThoughtItWasFunnyNOPE]

Hungry, still don't know how to read? The IRANIAN RABID DOG INSURGENTS CLAIMING to be Iranian diplomats were turned over to Iraq who held them...

Reading lessons available for free at most senior citizens centers...try it.

[hungry1968-16]

You call them "IRANIAN RABID DOG INSURGENTS", and tell ME that I need to learn how to read?!?


Laughable!! (As usual.)

[hungry1968-16]

And more importantly than that, Little Miss Reading Comprehension, they were turned over to IRAN - NOT turned over to Iraq.

[1notrub11]

No, Hungry, it says they were turned over to Iraqi authorities as per the agreement and THEY (the Iraqis) turned them loose.
Even the title of this article is misleading, not that that is such a newsflash when the media is trying to drum up readers.

[IThoughtItWasFunnyNOPE]

by hungry1968-16 July 12, 2009 7:00 AM PDT
And more importantly than that, Little Miss Reading Comprehension, they were turned over to IRAN - NOT turned over to Iraq.
______________

Yes I know they were turned over to Iran...but first they were turned over to Iraq...most probably these terrorists were best buds of the Obama family...all relatives of the THUGS in Iran...

[hungry1968-16]

"Five Iranian officials who were held in Iraq for more than two years by U.S. forces on suspicion of aiding local Shiite militants returned to Iran Sunday, where their return was hailed as a victory for Iran."







And once again the Bush policy of "illegal detention", has left a radical government, feeling like it "won" against the United States.

[jwesel1]

Well the Iranian government stood up to the bullying tactics of the US, so it definitely won this battle.

[YuSoWrong]

AND they've won two more sychophants to the cause of mystic dictatorship! Kudos to them. Now it's on to the bonus round, execution in the desert for imbeciles.