Mark My Words - commentary on news, politics, religion, philosophy, science and social issues

With the Iraq Surrender Group saying we should negotiate with Iran to stabilize Iraq, and Iran claiming to be a nuclear state, the following news item should not be ignored or pushed under the rug.

U.S. Is Holding Iranians Seized in Raids in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Dec. 24 — The American military is holding at least four Iranians in Iraq, including men the Bush administration called senior military officials, who were seized in a pair of raids late last week aimed at people suspected of conducting attacks on Iraqi security forces, according to senior Iraqi and American officials in Baghdad and Washington.

[...]

two Iranian diplomats were among those initially detained in the raids. The two had papers showing that they were accredited to work in Iraq, and he said they were turned over to the Iraqi authorities and released. He confirmed that a group of other Iranians, including the military officials, remained in custody while an investigation continued, and he said, “We continue to work with the government of Iraq on the status of the detainees.”

Releasing diplomats who were found with people suspected of terrorism hardly seems wise.

Nonetheless, the two raids, in central Baghdad, have deeply upset Iraqi government officials, who have been making strenuous efforts to engage Iran on matters of security. At least two of the Iranians were in this country on an invitation extended by Iraq’s president, Jalal Talabani, during a visit to Tehran earlier this month. It was particularly awkward for the Iraqis that one of the raids took place in the Baghdad compound of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq’s most powerful Shiite leaders, who traveled to Washington three weeks ago to meet President Bush.

I would say it would be more reasonable to be upset with diplomats found in such company. What good is it to appease your adversary if their ultimate goal is to defeat and control you?

Over the past four days, the Iraqis and Iranians have engaged in intense behind-the-scenes efforts to secure the release of the remaining detainees. One Iraqi government official said, “The Iranian ambassador has been running around from office to office.”

Let him continue running.

The United States is now holding, apparently for the first time, Iranians who it suspects of planning attacks. One senior administration official said, “This is going to be a tense but clarifying moment.”
“It’s our position that the Iraqis have to seize this opportunity to sort out with the Iranians just what kind of behavior they are going to tolerate,” the official said, declining to speak on the record because the details of the raid and investigation were not yet public. “They are going to have to confront the evidence that the Iranians are deeply involved in some of the acts of violence.”

No kidding. Tough decisions need to be made, rather than turning a blind eye to the dangers looming and currently helping undermine the stability and future of Iraq. At times, diplomacy is only possible when backed up by the very real possibility of serious consequences. Hopefully, should the information be certain enough, the Iraqis as well as many in the US will see the need to more forcefully isolate the rogue regime, including military action to seal the border and perhaps further should it become necessary.

As Margaret Thatcher told US President George H.W. Bush concerning forcing Saddam out of Kuwait, this was "no time to go wobbly!"

Diplomacy that is always never more than words achieves little in the face of aggressors who only consider their own desires. If we define victory only by our enemies terms, it matters not what words we wrap around the results. It will be surrender and only more will come if we don't soon open our eyes and with courage act decisively.

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Filed under: Terrorism -- Iraq -- Islamofascism -- News

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