Iran demands release of citizens

[majorjohn]

"Iran has demanded the immediate release of five of its citizens held in a US military raid in northern Iraq, who it says are diplomats."

Source: BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6260301.stm

-------------------------------


What do you think will happen now?

[oblivious]

1. The US becomes more and more isolated. Iran gains more and more sympathy.

[majorjohn]

2. Question is: Did the US military have the right to detain them?

[oblivious]

3. Iraqi Kurds Criticize U.S. Detention of Iranian Diplomats

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Kurds, among America's staunchest supporters, condemned the detention Thursday of six Iranian diplomats during a raid by U.S. forces on an Iranian consulate in the Kurdish city of Irbil.

The Kurdish president and regional government released a statement calling for the release of the six detained during the early-morning raid and firefight. One of the diplomats later was freed, the U.S. military said.

"The U.S. action does not conform to the policy of attempting to spread security and stability throughout all of Iraq," the statement said, adding that the raid was conducted without local approval.

"The people of the Kurdistan Region protest against and reject this action which violates our internal sovereignty," the statement said. "We do not accept that disputes with our neighboring countries should be brought onto our soil."
http://www.aina.org/news/20070112145828.htm

[oblivious]

4. Russia Blasts U.S. Attack on Iranian Diplomats in Iraq

An attack by U.S. servicemen on the Iranian consulate in Iraq came as a gross violation of the Vienna Convention, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin as saying on Friday.

“It is absolutely unacceptable for soldiers to storm a foreign country’s consular institution on the territory of a different country. It is a gross violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” he said.
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2007/01/12/condemnsiran.shtml


Iran diplomats' arrest against Vienna Convention: Russia
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/january/12/international/iran_diplomats_arrest_against_vienna_convention_russia.html

[ellisonz]

5. I demand the release of all political prisoners in Iran...

and around the world. If these men are indeed guilty of the crimes they are accused, they have not merely committed injustice against the morally bankrupt American Occupation but against the Iraqi people. What is Iran's true purpose in Iraq?

:nopity:

[oblivious]

7. They were there at the invitation of the Iraqi government.

The Kurdish regional government condemned the US raid.

"The attack on a consulate having immunity under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 is against the efforts exerted to establish stability all over Iraq," a spokesman said.

http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=28179

[ellisonz]

8. Doesn't matter. Assuming murder was on the books in Saddam's Iraq.

Convention IV. Section III.

Art. 68. Protected persons who commit an offence which is solely intended to harm the Occupying Power, but which does not constitute an attempt on the life or limb of members of the occupying forces or administration, nor a grave collective danger, nor seriously damage the property of the occupying forces or administration or the installations used by them, shall be liable to internment or simple imprisonment, provided the duration of such internment or imprisonment is proportionate to the offence committed. Furthermore, internment or imprisonment shall, for such offences, be the only measure adopted for depriving protected persons of liberty. The courts provided for under Article 66 of the present Convention may at their discretion convert a sentence of imprisonment to one of internment for the same period.

The penal provisions promulgated by the Occupying Power in accordance with Articles 64 and 65 may impose the death penalty against a protected person only in cases where the person is guilty of espionage, of serious acts of sabotage against the military installations of the Occupying Power or of intentional offences which have caused the death of one or more persons, provided that such offences were punishable by death under the law of the occupied territory in force before the occupation began.

The death penalty may not be pronounced against a protected person unless the attention of the court has been particularly called to the fact that since the accused is not a national of the Occupying Power, he is not bound to it by any duty of allegiance.

http://www.genevaconventions.org/

You could argue that the Geneva Conventions are inapplicable which is what the Bushies want, but you can't quote one part of the conventions against another when there is a clear contradictory article. Sorry.

[oblivious]

11. The US wouldn't even acknowledge that it was an Occupying Power in 2003.

And it has made it clear after the "free and democratic elections" that the Iraqi government is now in charge.

Do you seriously believe that these diplomats, there at the request of the Iraqi government, are guilty of what the US has charged? The US lies about everything. Everything to do with Iraq.

[ellisonz]

13. I don't know and neither do you.

So you don't want the Geneva Conventions to apply in Iraq?

[oblivious]

15. The US is not an occupying power. It has no right to detain foreign diplomats.

I can't believe DU members like you are defending this.

[ellisonz]

17. I can't believe DUers are defending men who possibly killed Americans and Iraqis.

You did not answer my question and that's very telling. Does the Geneva Convention apply (if it applies at all) selectively? It does have the right to detain foreign diplomats if those diplomats are engaged in sabotage or combat operations.

I'm not defending the ongoing military occupation of Iraq by the United States, I'm defending the right of our military to aggressively defend themselves and the Iraqi people from terrorism and anarchy in a responsible manner.

Please put the kool-aid down.

[ConsAreLiars]

18. So now those who want to endorse US war crimes have to claim it is indeed an occupying power

and abides by the Geneva Conventions in order to find justification for this particular act? What a twisted web....

[CJCRANE]

6. When Hezbollah kidnapped Israeli soldiers

Israel used that as a casus belli to invade Lebanon.

By the same logic Iran would be justified in invading Iraq.

[Toots]

9. Iraq didn't storm their consul and kidnap their people.

:shrug:

[angstlessk]

10. Hezbolah is not an arm of the Lebonese government either, but that did

not stop Israel from attacking the entire country.

[oblivious]

12. US release one Iranian following raid on consulate

US release one Iranian following raid on consulate
By IANS
Friday January 12, 09:33 PM

Baghdad, Jan 12 (DPA) US forces Friday released one Iranian out of the six they detained in a raid on the Iranian consulate in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq Thursday.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called on the US-led coalition forces to release the other five Iranians, Arab media reported.

The Kurdish regional government condemned the US raid.

'The attack on a consulate having immunity under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 is against the efforts exerted to establish stability all over Iraq,' a spokesman said.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070112/43/6b35r.html
http://www.indiaenews.com/middle-east/20070112/35545.htm

[magellan]

14. Cut and dry

If Iraq is a sovereign country and its government legitimate, as BushCo insist, then the US should not have done this without their approval; and now being told to make it right by said government, should do so at once.

[Bucky]

16. Oh the irony.

I think Bush is going to make them wait 444 days.