America May Free Iranians Taken in Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.nysun.com/article/51945

WASHINGTON — American and Iraqi officials are working out a plan to allow Iranian diplomats access to five Iranians captured in Iraq in January by American forces as a possible prelude to their release.

The plan dovetails with Secretary of State Rice's announcement that she would be open to direct talks with the Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, this month at a scheduled meeting in Baghdad of officials from Iraq and neighboring countries. It also follows the release of 15 British sailors captured by Iran last month, an arrangement both America and Britain have insisted did not yield concessions from the West.

Despite their assurances, contradictory details are emerging. Yesterday, a spokesman for the National Security Council, Gordon Johndroe, told reporters that America is negotiating a process with the Iraqi government that could lead to the release of the five Iranians, captured in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil by American forces on the morning of January 11, hours after President Bush announced a new Iraq strategy to combat the Iranian and Syrian networks in Iraq. snip

Also, as The New York Sun reported yesterday, the White House took part in the decision this week to release the second secretary of the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad, Jalal Sharafi, who was being held in an Iraqi- and American-administered facility. Mr. Sharafi arrived in Iran on Tuesday, the day before President Ahmadinejad said he would release the 15 British sailors.

[aquart]

1. Always playing grudging catchup.

Remember when we were a superpower? <sigh>

[underpants]

2. I'm just sure this had nothing to do with the other thing

:sarcasm:


Sooner or later you just knew that they would actually do something that was in concert with some other last minute hasty decision they ran out without thinking about what they had done before or its consequences after...maybe this is it.

[drm604]

3. So now we know what deal they made in exchange for the British sailors.

an arrangement both America and Britain have insisted did not yield concessions from the West.

This is what they say but unfortunately they lost all credibility years ago.