Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Iranian representative to meet five Iranians detained in Iraq
Iran, Iraq
(RFE/RL) - Iran's state IRNA news agency says an Iranian representative is to meet with five Iranians detained in Iraq by U.S. forces for the first time since their capture in January. The report did not say when a meeting might take place. In Baghdad, U.S. military spokesman Christopher Garver had no immediate comment. The United States accuses the five of being members of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and providing material support to militants. Iran says they are diplomats.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry continues to push for the release of five Iranians detained during a U.S. military raid in January, Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abawi told CNN on Tuesday. It was unclear whether the situation of the five Iranians had any connection to negotiations aimed at freeing 15 British sailors and marines held by Iran.
When asked if the Iranians could be released in exchange for the Britons, Abawi said "as far as we know, it's not a factor. We have no indication that there is any attempt by the Iranians to do an exchange," he said. However, he did note that the release "maybe could provide some sort of good condition for the release of the sailors. Any problem solved maybe can help solve another problem," he said.
But a senior Iraqi foreign ministry official told The Associated Press that Iraqi efforts to obtain the five Iranians' release "will be a factor that will help in the release of the British sailors and marines." The official quoted by AP spoke on condition of anonymity because of not being authorized to release the information.
President Bush was asked by a reporter in Washington on Tuesday whether the United States would be willing to give up the five Iranians to help obtain release of the Britons. "I support the Blair government's attempts to solve this issue peacefully. So we're in close consultation with the British government," he responded. "I also strongly support the prime minister's declaration that there should be no quid pro quos when it comes to the hostages."
The U.S. military said the five men are suspected of having connections to Iran's Revolutionary Guard-Quds Force, which the United States accuses of providing weapons and funding to Shiite insurgent groups in Iraq. They were detained on January 11 in Irbil, an Iraqi Kurdish city near the Iranian border. "We've always been assured that they will be released as soon as the investigation is complete," Abawi said Tuesday. "We have raised this matter many times and we hope that this will end soon."
When asked if the Iranians could be released in exchange for the Britons, Abawi said "as far as we know, it's not a factor. We have no indication that there is any attempt by the Iranians to do an exchange," he said. However, he did note that the release "maybe could provide some sort of good condition for the release of the sailors. Any problem solved maybe can help solve another problem," he said.
But a senior Iraqi foreign ministry official told The Associated Press that Iraqi efforts to obtain the five Iranians' release "will be a factor that will help in the release of the British sailors and marines." The official quoted by AP spoke on condition of anonymity because of not being authorized to release the information.
President Bush was asked by a reporter in Washington on Tuesday whether the United States would be willing to give up the five Iranians to help obtain release of the Britons. "I support the Blair government's attempts to solve this issue peacefully. So we're in close consultation with the British government," he responded. "I also strongly support the prime minister's declaration that there should be no quid pro quos when it comes to the hostages."
The U.S. military said the five men are suspected of having connections to Iran's Revolutionary Guard-Quds Force, which the United States accuses of providing weapons and funding to Shiite insurgent groups in Iraq. They were detained on January 11 in Irbil, an Iraqi Kurdish city near the Iranian border. "We've always been assured that they will be released as soon as the investigation is complete," Abawi said Tuesday. "We have raised this matter many times and we hope that this will end soon."
Labels: Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abawi, Iranian detainees, Quds Force
