Iran accuses British forces of launching "provocative act" against its consulate in Iraq

[Jcrowley]

Iran accuses British forces of launching "provocative act" against its consulate in Iraq


Iran on Thursday accused British forces of taking "provocative act" against its consulate in southern Iraqi city of Basra.

"This morning, the British occupier forces launched a provocative and adventurous action against Iran's consulate in Basra," the press department of Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement faxed to media.

The British forces in their automobiles entered the area in Basra where Iran's consulate is located and started to patrol around the building, the statement said, adding that they besieged the consulate for one hour and twenty minutes.

The British troops increased the number of their forces and started to shoot at the building of the consulate. The shooting lasted twenty minutes but no one was injured, the statement said.

http://english.people.com.cn/200703/30/eng20070330_362314.html

[yourout]

1. And so it begins.....

The first public shots in the war for Iran.

[mr_hat]

2. Let's hope they farted in their general direction. At the very least.

[cali]

3. And the British deny it,.

"4:13 a.m. March 29, 2007

BAGHDAD – The Iranian consul in Basra charged Thursday that British soldiers had surrounded his office in the southern city and fired shots into the air. Britain denied the allegation.
The allegation comes at a critical period in the crisis over Iran's seizure of 15 British sailors and marines.

The Ministry of Defense in London said the shooting was an exchange of gunfire after British troops on a foot patrol near the Iranian consulate were ambushed.

But Iranian Consul-General Mohammed Ridha Nasir Baghban said British forces had engaged in a “provocative act” that “could worsen the situation of the British sailors.”

<snip>

Baghban claimed British forces surrounded the consulate about 10 a.m. and fired randomly into the air.

In a statement distributed to journalists, British forces in Basra denied any aggressive action against the Iranian consulate, saying that a patrol was ambushed near the consulate and that it was returning fire.



http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20070329-0413-iraq-iran-britain.html

[Solo_in_MD]

4. Consider that the actions described are not something normally done by western troops

The firing guns into the air is a ME cultural item...

[cali]

5. That's also a good point.

Frankly, that story just doesn't make much sense.

[countryjake]

6. Saw a tiny blip on MSNBC yesterday about this..."fresh bulletholes are right there"...

in the walls of the Iranian consulate in Basra. Brits claim that they were fired on from a building nearby & never shot at the consulate.

Story immediately dropped from the airwaves & print media.

Not hard to guess who the liars may be in this attack, judging by who has buried the entire report.

[Taxloss]

7. Bulletholes? On a building? In Iraq? Incredible. n/t

[countryjake]

8. And formal complaint lodged with Brit Ambassador in Tehran...

in response to the attack on Iranian consulate. Anyone else hear any news on this development...thought not.

Believe proven coalition liars or not...your choice.

Who is conducting an illegal occupation, after all? The travesty in Iraq has never been about honesty, has it?