WaPo: Troops Authorized to Kill Iranian Operatives in Iraq

[Eugene]

Troops Authorized to Kill Iranian Operatives in Iraq
Administration Strategy Stirs Concern Among Some Officials

By Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 26, 2007; Page A01

The Bush administration has authorized the U.S. military to kill or capture Iranian
operatives inside Iraq as part of an aggressive new strategy to weaken Tehran's
influence across the Middle East and compel it to give up its nuclear program,
according to government and counterterrorism officials with direct knowledge
of the effort.

For more than a year, U.S. forces in Iraq have secretly detained dozens of
suspected Iranian agents, holding them for three to four days at a time. The "catch
and release" policy was designed to avoid escalating tensions with Iran and yet
intimidate its emissaries. U.S. forces collected DNA samples from some of the Iranians
without their knowledge, subjected others to retina scans, and fingerprinted and
photographed all of them before letting them go.

Last summer, however, senior administration officials decided that a more confrontational
approach was necessary, as Iran's regional influence grew and U.S. efforts to isolate
Tehran appeared to be failing. The country's nuclear work was advancing, U.S. allies
were resisting robust sanctions against the Tehran government, and Iran was aggravating
sectarian violence in Iraq.

-snip-

The new "kill or capture" program was authorized by President Bush in a meeting of his
most senior advisers last fall, along with other measures meant to curtail Iranian influence
from Kabul to Beirut and, ultimately, to shake Iran's commitment to its nuclear efforts.
Tehran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful, but the United States and other
nations say it is aimed at developing weapons.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/25/AR2007012502199.html

[saltpoint]

1. This should be no problem, as I'm sure Iranian operatives run around

in identifiable jackets on whose backs are sewn the words "IRANIAN OPERATIVE."

Otherwise they might be confused in Baghdad with the other 6 million residents.

[Poll_Blind]

4. LOL, totally! I think they're the ones with the PUCE jewel in their turbans.

The Sinbad movies lay it out plain as day. Either way, thank God so many of our troops speak Arabic so they can catch on to Farsi accents.

PB

[saltpoint]

6. That's right. I'm feeling safer already.

If we don't nail 'em over there, next thing you know, Omaha will be laid to waste over here.

[formercia]

8. Some are easy to identify

Revolutionary Guards wear a small gold key on a chain around their necks. Supposedly it is a key to paradise.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Yes.

I'm sure their operatives are going to wear them on covert missions too.

:eyes:

[formercia]

16. My thoughts too.

An Iranian friend who used to date one told me about it. She used to laugh at the stupidity of it.

I doubt if they will be wearing their Ayatollah Khomeini t-shirts either.

[MGD]

20. I would imagine MI is working overtime to identify any Iranian presence in theater

They'll then "tag" any such operatives and pass them off to a special operations team who will handle the killing/capturing.

[formercia]

24. This is where the high tech pays off

real-time commo intercepts and tradecraft signature identification, otherwise they would blend with the locals.

or not...

Iranians go native and use couriers like OBL.

It's a lot easier for them to blend than us.

But then, who am I to tell them how to behave. The Persians have been playing this game for several thousand years longer than we have.

[MGD]

25. This is true. I have to wonder what kind of interrogation techniques they'll employ

against captured Iranians too.

[daleo]

33. Maybe they are just proud of their academic accomplishments

Kind of like these guys:

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~goldkey/

[Poll_Blind]

2. Ruh Roh! Expect to see the Iranian Francis Gary Powers on FOX...

...any day now with his re-assembled Toyota truck and cyanide pill.

PB

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. wouldn't that sort of thin out the US installed government?

If they start icing Iranian opperatives, I don't think there will be much of the present government left,

[Art_from_Ark]

5. pResident Pandora has really done it this time

[maddezmom]

7. Iraq the Sovereign Country

is such a charade. :eyes:

[Zhade]

9. Fuck, there's so many LIES in this piece.

Iran.

Does.

Not.

Have.

Nukes.

[MGD]

19. Neither did North Korea a few months ago. nt

[Career Prole]

10. This A.P. report seems to make no sense, no doubt because

it is reporting something which makes no sense...not an uncommon occurrence these last six miserable years.

(AP) WASHINGTON The White House has reportedly given its approval for the U.S. military to kill or capture Iranian operatives in Iraq.

<snip>

For more than a year, U.S. forces in Iraq have been catching Iranian agents, interviewing them and letting them go. The Post says the administration is now convinced that was ineffective because Iran paid no penalty for its mischief.

http://cbs4boston.com/national/topstories_story_026070622.html

Considering our total disregard for normal legal/judicial proceedings since the War on Terra began they're admitting, it seems, that these "Iranian operatives" they pick up have done nothing by the very fact that they release them. After all, in Gitmo there are people locked up for years over mere suspicion so it's quite clear that if an "Iranian operative" is released after an interview then they must be above suspicion.

So now they're going to kill them instead? WTF?!

Dim Son is clearly out to force a confrontation with Iran. The idiot is in full goad-mode.

[Lance_Boyle]

11. Iranian operatives...

does that include Chalabi?

[Javaman]

12. the majority of merkins couldn't tell an Iranian from an Iraqi and that is

exactly what moron* and his room full of dopes are banking on.

Don't you see the set up here?

if the military starts bringing in "Iranian Operatives", then moron* won't need no stinking approval from Congress or anyone (not that he* ever really asked anyone permission for anything in the past)to begin the carpet bombing of Iran because he can use the old, "they have a presence in the country so we have to bomb them back to the stone age to remove that, huh...presence...heh heh heh".

Step 1. stir the shit. accuse them of something that doesn't exist

Step 2. create problems out of nothing. reveal the thinnest of evidence accusing them of something that still doesn't exist.

Step 3. keep stirring the shit. make sure that the stuff that doesn't exist makes the rounds of the propaganda news sites.

Step 4. promote the feeling of insecurity. send battle groups to the area still based on something that doesn't exist

Step 5. poke them with a stick. if they don't bite, use accusations and little "incidents" to provoke them. aka the attacking of their consulate with little to no news coverage.

Step 6. Throw down the paper glove. kill any "operatives" based upon something that still doesn't exist all in the name of creating something that appears to exist. (it's the medieval theory of "how to prove she is a witch", if they fight back, (float) they are operatives (witches), however if they don't (sink) they aren't operatives (witches).

Step 7. Throw caution to the wind. When all else fails, bomb them back to the dawn of time, because, how can moron* and his room full of dopes get anything done if the Iranians don't poke back. However, when the incoming bombs are spotted and Iran chooses to poke back, just their actions alone (defending themselves) prove (according to moron*) that there really was a reason after all (twisted logic) and they "might" actually have something that exists. jeez, I mean like it's so obvious. Sigh.

[ButterflyBlood]

32. Actually, they could even if they don't realize it

Iranians are not Arabs, they are Persian, and don't look like Arabs at all, some look almost Nordic.

[Karenina]

38. the majority of merkins couldn't tell

the difference between ANYONE whose skin is just a shade darker than what THEY consider WHITE. Fuck it. Kill 'em all.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. Tell me again how we are all paranoid lunatics.

The writing is on the wall. They intend to expand the chaos to Iran.

[lovuian]

14. Get ready Iran war is coming this is set up

WWIII is coming
70% of the US people DON"T want it

[saigon68]

17. And the ones that want WW III

Are a hateful bunch of Fundy "End of Days" types

[hijinx87]

18. this is a back door means to escalate

hostilities and lead us into open conflict with iran. probably as
the election heats up.

plain and simple.

the crackpot president of iran is suddenly playing into *'s hands.

[NashVegas]

29. Ya Think?

I think so, too.

Until this morning, I was not in the 'impeach Bush" crowd. But this pretty much is the tipping point for me. He's begging Iran to make an open attack.

[Paulie]

21. It's easy to tell the difference! Come on people!

Three easy steps:

Step one) Point gun at suspected Iranian super spy.

Step two) Ask suspected super spy, in Farsi, how he likes the weather.

Step three) If suspected super spy answers in an Indo-Iranian language, BLAMMO!

Step four) If it SOUNDS like an Indo-Iranian language, BLAMMO!


Simple, like the foreign policy of the current U.S. regime.

:sarcasm:

[Megahurtz]

22. We need to IMPEACH

him and Cheney both before they start World War III.

[superconnected]

23. Kill without a trial ...WTF, IMPEACH NOW

They will have no trial so we won't know if they are just from iran living in iraq. We have to take bush word that they are operatives. Even then, they deserve a trial.

A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY ORDERING TO KILL WITH NO TRIAL MAKES US NO LONGER A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY

Impeach NOW

[killbotfactory]

26. Iranian diplomats and officials invited to Iraq by Iraqi officials better watch out

[gulliver]

27. So Chalabi and al Maliki are on notice.

[ohio2007]

36. ?

To protect the rights of the Iraqi minority or....?

Look, we can't gtf outta there until somebody makes a stand and gets enough votes from a civilized govt body to tell us to downsize out of the Iraqi cities.

[ohio2007]

28. Article seems to say if Iranian 'operatives' are dressed in civilian attire

they could be shot as spies. That is, any Iranian citizen,no mater if he is Arab or Persian,could be held under some sort of insurrection charge.

Or

shot on site.


Hope the Shia don't have any big holy holiday parades planned that invite Iranian Shia to participate.

[superconnected]

30. It doesn't matter if they are iranian shia. Since there is no trial

they have the right to kill _anyone_ under the guise of being an iranian operative.

Now I guess we sit back and watch the "iranian operative" death toll rise.

[oneinok]

31. Sounds like an excuse to invade Iran.

Sounds like an excuse to invade Iran. Just like the one Nixon used to get into Cambodia. Ahhh, crossing the fence on May 1, 1970. Feels like yesterday.

Hey, does anybody here think we'll find Osama in Iran?

[ohio2007]

35. ? Is it playing politics of appeasement ?

the minority sunni may applaud such a decision. Did our MSM run any quotes or reactions of Iraqi govt sources from the minority side of the aisle ( sort to speak )

[BreweryYardRat]

34. Oh, you've got to be shitting me.

How the hell did ANYONE think this was a good idea?

[High Plains]

37. Like they weren't before? This seems like a non-story to me.

Just designed to whip up anti-Iran sentiment.

The US military has not been shy about killing anyone they think is messing with them (and any unfortunate innocents who happen to be nearby).