[Ford Prefect]

So I had just begun work on my Pulitzer Prize winner-to-be, A List of Buildings in the Middle East That The US Should Not Seize Because it Might Provoke Hostilities With a Volatile Nation and Would be Retarded and Dumb Too, and I had made a conscious decision to omit "the Iranian consulate in Iraq", 'cause I figured that was just too ****in' dumb to go in a book with such a nuanced title. But then I read the news, and I was forced to compromise my vision and pander to the masses. The world just doesn't understand me and my black turtlenecks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6251167.stm

Seriously, this is like when that kid who doesn't belong in your English class asks if Edward Taylor literally wanted to become a spinning wheel, and everyone just sits there wondering whether to laugh and say, "that's a good one" so the stupid **** can pass it off as a joke. Except, instead of a dumb question, it was an act of international aggression, so it probably wasn't a joke. I'll keep my eyes peeled for the headline, "Ahmadinejad Commends America's Practical Joke. 'LOL' Says Iranian President."

[Jetmech Jr.]

Wow. Just...

Just...

WOW...the case for the raid is so weak I'm shocked the people who came up with excuse haven't been fired.

Iraq and Iran: "IT'S A CONSULATE BUILDING, YOU ****ING RETARD!"

Bush Admin: "Uh...um...

...

Nuh-uh?"

[Centrixo]

great. another excuse to annoy iran and its politics.

[Shade]

I'm sure the Chinese and the Russians will sympathise. After all, their diplomats get hit by the US too.

[WMCoolmon]

What proof do you have to show that the building was listed as a consulate by US troops?

I find it easier to believe that Iran set up a consulate and the US wasn't informed, or the troops in the area weren't informed due to an oversight, than that the US would intentionally stage an unprovoked attack on an Iranian consulate just to piss them off.

[Janos]

What proof do you have to show that the building was listed as a consulate by US troops?

I find it easier to believe that Iran set up a consulate and the US wasn't informed, or the troops in the area weren't informed due to an oversight, than that the US would intentionally stage an unprovoked attack on an Iranian consulate just to piss them off.

That is extremely unlikely, especially as the consulate is in Kurdish area and US troops have a policy of not randomly raiding houses especially in the peaceful areas of Kurdistan?

Here's the catch though: Consulates are not embassies and do not enjoy same level of diplomatic immunity BUT every single piece of paper inside a consulate is absolutely inviolable. You can handwave the protests against arresting consulate workers away by simply mumbling about grave crimes, but you're not allowed to take anything with you. Even if the papers were stolen from US shipyards they'd still be untouchable.

[Rictor]

prov·o·ca·tion  /ˌprɒvəˈkeɪʃən/ Pronunciation Key - [prov-uh-key-shuhn]
–noun
1.    the act of provoking.
2.    something that incites, instigates, angers, or irritates.
3.    siezing the Iranian consulate in Irbil

see also
  1. what goes around comes around, towelheads.

[aldo_14]

What proof do you have to show that the building was listed as a consulate by US troops?

I find it easier to believe that Iran set up a consulate and the US wasn't informed, or the troops in the area weren't informed due to an oversight, than that the US would intentionally stage an unprovoked attack on an Iranian consulate just to piss them off.

The US military said it was still investigating, but that the building did not have diplomatic status.
...
 Reports say the Iranian consulate there was set up last year under an agreement with the Kurdish regional government to facilitate cross-border visits.

You'd think they'd finish investigating (like maybe asking the Iraqis or Kurds) before raiding the places.....

[Flipside]

And, iirc, the American Army is offering a reward to citizens who point them in the direction of non-iraqi Arabs who seem to be setting up some sort of operation centre. I can't help suspecting that the troops get led by the nose here just a bit, using the 'swift response' ethos against them.

[aldo_14]

"Citizen!  you say you have found enemies of America?!"
"Yes.  How much can I have for them?"
"$30 per person, with a bonus extra $50 for every 10"
"Lovely.  I need a new goat*, the wife thinks the bedroom is getting stale since Beardie died."
"So where are these ENEMIES OF AMERICA, citizen?!"
"Iranian embassy"
"ROGER!!! MOVE OUT!!! SHOCK AND AWE AWAY!!! HOO-RAH!!!"

*Sorry, couldn't resist a goat joke

[WMCoolmon]

You'd think they'd finish investigating (like maybe asking the Iraqis or Kurds) before raiding the places.....

Would you? I've seen a lot of criticism directed towards the US for acting unilaterally. There's probably a thousand things that could've gone wrong that would cause the consolate building to not have its status, anywhere from simply going in too fast and not actually checking beforehand, to receiving a report from the Kurds dated more than a year ago that stated that 'there are no diplomatic facilities in this vicinity'.

I'm not saying that it couldn't be a deliberate ploy to provoke Iran into retaliating against US forces, thus dragging the US into the war, and giving Bush a great morale boost to continue Middle Eastern operations & increase funding for them. However it doesn't seem like there's any direct evidence that would obviously point to that, as opposed to an isolated ****up becoming an incident due to the already existing tensions.

[aldo_14]

You'd think they'd finish investigating (like maybe asking the Iraqis or Kurds) before raiding the places.....

Would you? I've seen a lot of criticism directed towards the US for acting unilaterally. There's probably a thousand things that could've gone wrong that would cause the consolate building to not have its status, anywhere from simply going in too fast and not actually checking beforehand, to receiving a report from the Kurds dated more than a year ago that stated that 'there are no diplomatic facilities in this vicinity'.

I'm not saying that it couldn't be a deliberate ploy to provoke Iran into retaliating against US forces, thus dragging the US into the war, and giving Bush a great morale boost to continue Middle Eastern operations & increase funding for them. However it doesn't seem like there's any direct evidence that would obviously point to that, as opposed to an isolated ****up becoming an incident due to the already existing tensions.

Didn't I just say it was a ****up?

[Ghostavo]

I can't imagine anything that will top this off this year.

I think we have a winner for Dumbest Moment of the Year.

[Harbinger of DOOM]

"Citizen!  you say you have found enemies of America?!"
"Yes.  How much can I have for them?"
"$30 per person, with a bonus extra $50 for every 10"
"Lovely.  I need a new goat*, the wife thinks the bedroom is getting stale since Beardie died."
"So where are these ENEMIES OF AMERICA, citizen?!"
"Iranian embassy"
"ROGER!!! MOVE OUT!!! SHOCK AND AWE AWAY!!! HOO-RAH!!!"

*Sorry, couldn't resist a goat joke

Thats class.

[Rictor]

and this, gentlemen, is what is called "escalation".

CIA authorized to take covert action against Hezbollah

It authorises the CIA and other US intelligence agencies to fund anti-Hizbollah groups in Lebanon and pay for activists who support the Siniora government. The secrecy of the finding means that US involvement in the activities is officially deniable.

[Ford Prefect]

Well that's just the perfect icing on the Stupid Cake this week. The US seriously needs to attend one of those college assemblies on positive life choices. Watching my country in the Middle East is like watching a drunk friend at a party who's trying to hook up with that girl who everyone knows has something bad. And no matter how many times you say, "Bro, you really don't wanna put your penis in that," he's all like, "Whatever man I'm not gonna catch it."

Although, to be fair, I kinda assumed that the CIA was having a go at Hezbollah.

[Roanoke]

"Citizen!  you say you have found enemies of America?!"
"Yes.  How much can I have for them?"
"$30 per person, with a bonus extra $50 for every 10"
"Lovely.  I need a new goat*, the wife thinks the bedroom is getting stale since Beardie died."
"So where are these ENEMIES OF AMERICA, citizen?!"
"Iranian embassy"
"ROGER!!! MOVE OUT!!! SHOCK AND AWE AWAY!!! HOO-RAH!!!"

*Sorry, couldn't resist a goat joke

monty python ?

or is that you're own work ?

[aldo_14]

And more; The administration of President George W. Bush has asked Congress to authorize 86 million dollars in military aid to boost security forces loyal to moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, a senior US official said.

[IceFire]

I think this should all go in a book called "1001 ways to start a war in the middle east".

Its sad...

[Rictor]

I believe they already wrote that book. The public response was very positive at first, the authors were highly acclaimed for their vision, but recently opinions have soured somewhat and people have all but stopped buying it.

Another interest and little known fact is that the entire book is written in iambic pentameter and was composed during a single drug-fueled weekend.