AMosely

And why does Iraq want them released? I know the 'official' answers to these questions, but I am very curious about the real answers. Obivously the U.S. believed they were aiding insurgent efforts in Iraq, but what a bold move to take. Why was this overshadowed by all the congressional rhetoric about Bush's latest troop increase?

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/...=1&oref=slogin

Apophis

There's some confusion as to they actually being "Iranian embassy officials". I know Iran is saying they are, but there were many questions surrounding the actual diplomatic status of where they were and what they were doing.

I'm not one to get my news and facts from the enemy, so I would love to wait for further clarification on this one.

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Kerostasis

I'm not sure about your first two questions, but the third one's easy:

Covert ops are always easier to manage when they are, well, covert. And drowning the news of 5 guys being apprehended in the publicity over the President's troop surge speech is a great way to avoid having to explain himself to the US media.

Whether or not you agree with Bush's goals, you have to admit they're a lot easier to pull off when the Media isn't paying attention to them.

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El_Gringo_Grande

I think "Why does Iraq want them released?" is the interesting question.

First I doubt anything Iran does in Iraq is benign. Iran wants, badly, influence or control over that region. So those 5 where not simple little officials. It would be like saying the people we had in USSR during the cold war were only "embassy officials". Yea, right.

But for Iraq to want their release with all that is going on? Wow, the mind boggles at all the implications.

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Tempus

Here's some good reading on the Iran issue.. War is inevitable.

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2...ards-iran.html

http://www.lewrockwell.com/buchanan/buchanan49.html

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jepzilla

It was a consulate that was raided, not an embassy, a very important distinction. I was practically tearing my hair out reading the Fark comments about this and all the 'Teh OMGs they invaded teh sovereign territories!'

Ummm, no.

Then again, I don't read Fark for insightful commentary, so I shouldn't have expected better.

PanzerHans

Let us hope there is no war. Absolutely nothing good will come from it.

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xTYBALTx

We'll be greeted as liberators!

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leejo

If you think we aren't at war with Iran already you haven't been paying attention. The intensity isn't very high yet but something's gotta give.

PanzerHans

There is a huge difference between a war with bombs and bullets and media and the whole shannanigan and the current situation. I'm sure you know that. The current situation reminds me an awfult lot of what happened during the prequel to the Iraq war.

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leejo

Iran has been shipping bombs and bullets into Iraq for several years. I'm not talking about a media fight, I'm talking about us killing them and them killing us. It's happening and has been happening for several years.

PanzerHans

So are you saying there is no distinction between your war definition and mine?

Edit: This is a complete sidetrack of the initial threadtopic. I'll stop here.

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Steeler

If you think we ARE at war with Iran I think you are a little too eager to be in a war.

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TheFatKidDeath

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Wednesday he's convinced that the Iranian government is supplying deadly weapons to fighters in Iraq, even if he can't prove the orders came from the highest levels in Tehran."

On the subject of alleged Iranian involvement in Iraq, Bush appeared to back away from a weekend briefing in Baghdad by three senior U.S. military officials. They said shipments into Iraq of deadly new weapons had been approved at the highest levels in Tehran.

Bush said he could say ''with certainty'' that the weapons were provided by an elite part of Iran's Revolutionary Guards that is part of the government.

But, the president added, he does not know whether the weapons were ''ordered from the top echelons of government. But, my point is, what's worse, them ordering it and it happening, or them not ordering it and it happening?''


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Bush.html


Everyday I'm more convinced that our President has the mind and logic of an eight year old. We are hearing the same rhetoric, spin, have truths and falsehoods that were used to justify invading Iraq. God help us.

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AMosely

Don't worry, the 'cook the intelligence' game that worked for Iraq won't work this time, or hopefully ever again.

One thing that I've been thinking about is just how damaging the Iraq intel fiasco was to the intelligence community. The dozens of veteran CIA agents that got up and left over Bush's (or rather Cheney's) raw mangling of intelligence data know this all too well. Their 'I know better' attitude has seriously impaired the ability of US intelligence agencies to do effectively do their jobs, possibly for decades to come. Just one more example of how the US is far less safe now than we were in 2001 as a direct result of flawed leadership. It's shameful.