U.S. releases Iranian diplomats in Iraq
The U.S. military just freed five Iranian diplomats it has detained in Iraq since 2007. They're meeting today with Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and then returning to the Iranian embassy, according to Hossein Kazemi-Qomi, the Iranian ambassador to Iraq.
The Iranians were never charged with any crime; the military suggested they were involved with arming the Iraqi insurgency. The military also refused to recognize them as diplomats, which would confer diplomatic immunity, because they worked for a "liaison office" in Arbil -- not a "full" consulate.
This has been something of a sore point between Iran and the U.S., to say the least. But don't read too much into the timing: The U.S. has to give the Iraqi government control of its prisoners under the status-of-forces agreement. So this has nothing to do with the Iranian elections.
It is interesting that al-Maliki is not only releasing the men but giving them a personal meeting. Obviously on some level he's just being diplomatic (no pun intended) -- these men have been detained in his country for two years. But it also gives you an indication of how much Iraq values its relationship with Iran.
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Categories: Diplomacy, Iran, Regional News, War and Terrorism, War in Iraq
Tags: diplomats, Nouri al-Maliki
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