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Iran Launches Airstrikes on Iraqi Villages
Iran Launches Airstrikes on Iraqi Villages
CLOSE [X] Iranian aircraft attacked three villages inside Iraq over the weekend. The airstrikes — Iran’s first on Iraqi soil since the U.S. invasion — could complicate the Obama administration’s efforts to normalize relations with Tehran.
“The bombardments appeared to have targeted the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), an Iranian Kurdish separatist group which has launched attacks on Iran More.. from rear-supply bases in the mountains of northern Iraq,” AFP reports. Iran has attacked the Kurdish group before, with artillery. But this is the first time the Iranians followed up, with assaults from the air.
“The incident comes a week after reports of a clash between Iranian police officers and suspected PJAK fighters in the country’s western province of Kermanshah,” Al-Jazeera reports. “At least 10 policemen and 10 fighters were killed in the gun battle.”
Details on the airstrikes remain sketchy. Voice of America says the attacks were carried out by helicopters, which remained in Iranian airspace. Al-Arabiyah television, on the other hand, says it was “Iranian planes [that] raided those villages.”
It is a serious development because the Iraqi airspace is under the control of the US Air Force and under US protection. So the raids are either approved by the United States, as was the case when a US nod was previously given to the Turkish Army, or such operation was a surprise by the Iranians. According to eyewitnesses, the planes were flying at very low altitudes, which may indicate that they were trying to escape detection by radars. So these planes were able to attack many locations. Eyewitnesses and official Kurdish sources said that the raids were carried out by fighter jets and not helicopters.
In February, American fighter jets shot down an Iranian drone flying over Iraq. Such an incursion would’ve likely provoked an angry response from the previous administration. But the reaction to the drone incident was muted — perhaps in the interest of keeping the dialogue with Tehran going.
CLOSE [X] Iranian aircraft attacked three villages inside Iraq over the weekend. The airstrikes — Iran’s first on Iraqi soil since the U.S. invasion — could complicate the Obama administration’s efforts to normalize relations with Tehran.
“The bombardments appeared to have targeted the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), an Iranian Kurdish separatist group which has launched attacks on Iran More.. from rear-supply bases in the mountains of northern Iraq,” AFP reports. Iran has attacked the Kurdish group before, with artillery. But this is the first time the Iranians followed up, with assaults from the air.
“The incident comes a week after reports of a clash between Iranian police officers and suspected PJAK fighters in the country’s western province of Kermanshah,” Al-Jazeera reports. “At least 10 policemen and 10 fighters were killed in the gun battle.”
Details on the airstrikes remain sketchy. Voice of America says the attacks were carried out by helicopters, which remained in Iranian airspace. Al-Arabiyah television, on the other hand, says it was “Iranian planes [that] raided those villages.”
It is a serious development because the Iraqi airspace is under the control of the US Air Force and under US protection. So the raids are either approved by the United States, as was the case when a US nod was previously given to the Turkish Army, or such operation was a surprise by the Iranians. According to eyewitnesses, the planes were flying at very low altitudes, which may indicate that they were trying to escape detection by radars. So these planes were able to attack many locations. Eyewitnesses and official Kurdish sources said that the raids were carried out by fighter jets and not helicopters.
In February, American fighter jets shot down an Iranian drone flying over Iraq. Such an incursion would’ve likely provoked an angry response from the previous administration. But the reaction to the drone incident was muted — perhaps in the interest of keeping the dialogue with Tehran going.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James Williams on -
I don't know which is worse Obama giving the nod or Tehran blatantly just going ahead either one should be disturbing to all of us! On one hand did not the Kurds play a large role in the invasion of Iraq & should we not give them the same support of any Iraqi citizen? Or on the other hand has our policy on Iraq & Iran changed very dramatically & we just haven't been told yet ? Another curious thing to me is why the media has not reported this incident on a large scale , first I heard about it was right here ! Hmmm!
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Permalink Reply by michaelriker on -
For years the US lead the Kurds on and when they were ready to do our work and take out Saddam the US backed out at the last minute and and the Kurds took a whipping. We should have backed these guys.
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Permalink Reply by Debbie on -
National security has always been a top priority for me. As a young women, Having studied the attack on Pearl Harbor and our being caught unprepared I guess I assumed we would never be caught that way again. The attack on 9/11 and the scale of it was shocking to me. Needless to say my attention to homeland security was heightened to a new level. My greatest fear after the attack was that after time we would again become complacent.
During the lengthy presidential campaign I spoke ad nauseam to anyone who would listen and those I could corner (LOL) how important homeland security was, and to please pay attention to what the presidential hopefuls were saying on the subject and more importantly what there history in reference to this had been. Well the election is now over and the people have spoken.
We now face life with an administration with no practical experience in homeland security, military experience or foreign affairs. This administration has put into place much of the same group who brought us the response to the disaster in mogadishu in 1993 nothing, the response to the embassy bombing Inept intelligence and of course the response to the USS COLE. Please forgive me if I sound bitter. I have two hot button issues national security and the military. I get fighting mad when our military is sacrificed in the name of diplomacy or in the above mentioned cases simple incompetance.
We are a country at war wheather those in power want to admit it or not. Along with the above mentioned behavior by Iran There is new information about an agreement in the works with this administration and Iran to permit passage of our Troops, weapons and supplies across iranian territory into Afganistan, possible the reason no outrage about the air strikes on the Kurds? It doesnt take a genius to understand what Irans intentions are, just a simple understanding of their history where the United States is concerned. You would think we would have learned our lesson after the Carter mess. appeasement is not the answer that course will only embolden them. With the new direction of our foreign poiicy I see only one conclusion. The high probability of an attack on our country soon. We are putting ourselves in a position of weakness and the wolves are gathering togeather!
God Bless Us and May HIs Mercy remain on this Country
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Permalink Reply by James Williams on
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Still no mention of this in the main stream although Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has canceled his trip to our neighbors to the south unexpectedly ? Coincidence or has Obama struck a Faustian deal here? Shame on us for turning or backs on those who risked all to help us achieve our goals in Iraq ! Have we not learned our lessons on this type diplomacy & why would anyone at this juncture ever trust us again ; is not this the very thing radical islam does when dealing with infidels befriend them then kill them? Please this is not the United States of America that I know & love !!!!!!!!!!! Oh & what does this pig Mahmoud Ahmadinejad do he turns instead to Syria to spread his venom of hate ! I predict that he'll wait a couple of weeks & end up south of our border anyway!
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Permalink Reply by HOMELAND TV NETWORK on -
Debbie said:National security has always been a top priority for me. As a young women, Having studied the attack on Pearl Harbor and our being caught unprepared I guess I assumed we would never be caught that way again. The attack on 9/11 and the scale of it was shocking to me. Needless to say my attention to homeland security was heightened to a new level. My greatest fear after the attack was that after time we would again become complacent.
During the lengthy presidential campaign I spoke ad nauseam to anyone who would listen and those I could corner (LOL) how important homeland security was, and to please pay attention to what the presidential hopefuls were saying on the subject and more importantly what there history in reference to this had been. Well the election is now over and the people have spoken.
We now face life with an administration with no practical experience in homeland security, military experience or foreign affairs. This administration has put into place much of the same group who brought us the response to the disaster in mogadishu in 1993 nothing, the response to the embassy bombing Inept intelligence and of course the response to the USS COLE. Please forgive me if I sound bitter. I have two hot button issues national security and the military. I get fighting mad when our military is sacrificed in the name of diplomacy or in the above mentioned cases simple incompetance.
We are a country at war wheather those in power want to admit it or not. Along with the above mentioned behavior by Iran There is new information about an agreement in the works with this administration and Iran to permit passage of our Troops, weapons and supplies across iranian territory into Afganistan, possible the reason no outrage about the air strikes on the Kurds? It doesnt take a genius to understand what Irans intentions are, just a simple understanding of their history where the United States is concerned. You would think we would have learned our lesson after the Carter mess. appeasement is not the answer that course will only embolden them. With the new direction of our foreign poiicy I see only one conclusion. The high probability of an attack on our country soon. We are putting ourselves in a position of weakness and the wolves are gathering togeather!
God Bless Us and May HIs Mercy remain on this Country
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Permalink Reply by HOMELAND TV NETWORK on
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Amen Debbie..Amen!
Will Griffith,
Homeland TV
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Permalink Reply by James Williams on
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Whats up with this story I've yet to find anything other than here on this ?
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Permalink Reply by michaelriker on
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This was the only article I was able to find as well. We will have to keep our eyes open and see what comes out.
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Permalink Reply by Janet Liebsch on -
Well said Debbie and thank you Det Riker for posting this. There was some coverage past several days but not nearly enough IMHO. Here are a few I found doing a quick search (and hopefully links work)...
Reuters 5-May-09 Iraq condemns Iranian shelling of Kurd villages
AP 5-May-09 Iraq summons Iranian ambassador over bombardment
Press TV 6-May-09 Iran 'continues bombing PJAK in Iraq'
Xinhua News Agency 6-May-09 AL (Arab League) concerns over Iran's shelling on Iraqi Kurd villages
Again, very little coverage stateside and don't even see anything on DefenseLINK ... but maybe since Iraq and AL spoke up it was nipped in bud (?). Bizarre...
And media coverage may get worse if Dems get their "proposed legislation that would allow some newspapers to operate as nonprofit organizations for tax purposes" per WSJ.
Thanks again Det. Riker for keeping an eye on all this stuff for us. j
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Permalink Reply by James Williams on
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Thanks for the info !
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Permalink Reply by DC1 (SW) Rick Glory CHS-V, CDP-I on -
Just another reason to distrust the policies and enactions of this current addministration.
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