Iran sees US choppers near its frontiers

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's military says U.S. helicopters have been flying too close to its border with Iraq and may even have crossed the frontier.
The statement, carried by the state news agency Wednesday, says the helicopters were seen in Iraq and are "likely to violate Iranian airspace".
The Iranian military said it would respond to any violation of its borders and warned the U.S. military to keep its distance.
The U.S. military has over 150,000 troops in Iraq who make extensive use of helicopters to transport forces and carry out patrols.
Iraq-based U.S. forces carried out a raid on neighboring Syria on Oct. 26, killing eight people.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081105...helicopters;_ylt=Ar.U1XIfkX2zYhaXCrN4EXcLewgF
 
I think if this is America testing Iran's reactions at the border in order to repeat their recent actions in Syria and Pakistan in Iran, it would be a mistake they would regret. Iran is not a restrained as Syria and Pakistan, Iran will most likely reverse recent gains of security in Iraq if America carries such a reckless action. Lets remember that General Petraeus said that recent gains on Shiite militias are due to Iran curtailing its support for them, and if Shiite ruled Iraq who recently condemned America's attack on Syrian soil and who is demanding that SOFA agreement stipulate that America will never use Iraqi soil to attack its neighbors will drift further towards Iran's arms. You will also see IRGC further infiltrate Iraq and launch strikes against American forces as retaliation and America will not be in any position to escalate the situation. I think Iran is not Syria and Pakistan who feel constrained in any retaliations, Iran is actually itching for a pretext to escalate the Iraqi situation it is in a far more advantages position to strike back at America unlike Syria and Pakistan. It will be in strategic failure if America gives Iran the pretext to escalate situation in Iraq and portray itself as the victim while it sends the IRGC further into Iraq to disrupt the country.
 
Last edited:
In that case Redneck if your line of thinking that "Iraq happens to be next to Iran. And sometimes things need to be taken in and out to areas near the border " was correct then Russia was justified in taken things over to Georgia when Georgian invasion of South Ossetia killed Russian citizens and Russian peacekeepers, and that since Iraq is next to Iran then Iran should be able to take things out to areas across the border into Iraq. See just like the American government you argue for the violations of international laws and UN charter in order to violate sovereign foreign nations territories and I bet when other nations such as Russia or Iran uses the pretext that America is setting you will be the first people alongside the American government hypocritically screaming foul.

You can't have it both ways, if America is to going open the door and disregard international law and violate sovereign nations then using your line of reasoning it should be prefectly legitimate that Russia took things over the border into Georgia proper and Iran taking things over the border into Iraq. I can only imagine what madness to come in your line of thinking Redneck now that America opened the door and violated the sovereignty of Iraq illegally, and is now violating Pakistan and Syria while eyeing Iran as the next country to be violated.
 
Now I have to disagree, South Osettia and Iraq are completley different, to be honest I had no problem with the Russians smashing Georgia for that underhanded military opertation into SO under cover of the Olympics. The 58th did very well considering the fact that they were a reaction force and had not planned to invade.

If our helicopters are skirting the Iranian boarder tough for Iran, if they cross the boarder then there is a problem but as long as we stay on the Iraqi side then it's fine.

I would agree that we have done a few things that were wrong and I don't like the "do as I say not as I do" politics of our current administration.
 
The point being, they were still in Iraq.
And Iraq happens to be next to Iran.
And things may have to be taken in and out of certain towns or areas close to Iran. Not too surprising since Iran sent a lot of intel folks into Iraq to stir up some of the troubles there.
 
Agreed. We can fly where we like in Iraqi airspace. If that happens to be a foot from the Iranian border, tough luck.
 
No but I have no doubt that if the yanks want to push the border flights as close as possible then I so will the Iranians and it will just take one screw up on either side for it to get messy.
 
You are right Monty, right now Iran has the upper hand in that region and I don't think it is strategic for America to stir trouble with Iran. Iran is not as constrained as Pakistan and Syria when it comes to retaliation. All they are looking for and itching for is for America to give them pretext and make them look like the victim so they can strike at American troops in Iraq in retaliation and America won't be in a position to escalate the situation. It would be a blunder to irritate Iran right now, specially with all the gains in Iraq begin so easily reversible, it would be a strategic blunder to think you can strike at Iran the same way as Syria and Pakistan and not expect hell to break loose.
 
Yes that would be your dream scenario wouldn't it?
To have more people die so that Iran can humiliate the Americans. Screw the welfare of the Iraqis (never mind that they are also Muslim).
 
Nail on the head

Thank you the_13th_redneck something the western lover isn't getting. He must have missed that class and should at least respect other Muslim's and their right to live. Muslim's convincing other Muslim's it's alright to kill EACH other is ok I guess as long as it's not the evil USA doing any of the killing.
 
Yes that would be your dream scenario wouldn't it?
To have more people die so that Iran can humiliate the Americans. Screw the welfare of the Iraqis (never mind that they are also Muslim).

I don't see it this way at all, I see it as one of those schoolyard p*****g contests between two guys who chest butted themselves into a corner where neither of them really want a fight but neither of them will back down.

They just sit there prodding each other until the crowd get bored and leave then they slink off home claiming victory.
 
Odd, It's almost like we have 100,000 troops inside Iran's neighbor, perhaps that's why they're seeing US choppers near the border. Life would be so much simpler if people were not allowed to settle within 10 miles of international borders. Every country should have a massive DMZ along its borders.
 
"Yes that would be your dream scenario wouldn't it?
To have more people die so that Iran can humiliate the Americans. Screw the welfare of the Iraqis (never mind that they are also Muslim)."-Redneck

Iran is not the one doing the humiliation all they are doing is standing up for their territorial integrity so they don't get humiliated the way Iraq did, Pakistan did, and Syria did in the hands of the Americans. If America did not want people dying the way they are in Iraq maybe they should have not carried out the illegal invasion of Iraq which was condemned by the UN, the International community, the EU, Russia and China amongst hundreds of other countries. Don't give me the crap that America went into Iraq to help them, the excuses for the war was Iraq had WMDs and the other underlying motive was oil, when the whole WMD case against Iraq was found to be bogus the American administration tried to put a spin on things and make it seem like it was about freeing Iraq. I am educated enough to do my own research and think for myself then draw my conclusion through educated studying; I don't follow the media's garbage and mumbo jumbo propaganda which tip toe the West's elite conservative b******t. I care about Iraqi welfare more than you, lets remember also that it was America's invasion of Iraq that gave Iran a free reign in that region and removed Iraq as an obstacle to them, and its America's own fault that Iran has so much influence and power in that region today. I don't wish no harm to Iraq, America or Iran because to many innocent people died as it is already, but all this squarely lies in American government's feet and if it wasn't for them all these American soldiers, Iraqi citizens, Syrian citizens, Afghan citizens, and Pakistani citizens wouldn't have died.

"Thank you the_13th_redneck something the western lover isn't getting. He must have missed that class and should at least respect other Muslim's and their right to live. Muslim's convincing other Muslim's it's alright to kill EACH other is ok I guess as long as it's not the evil USA doing any of the killing."-Rock45

I respect everyone's right to live peacefully whether they are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, or Hindu. Lets remember its the American government that keeps attacking one Muslim country after another, not me so you can twist and paint me however you like but the fact of the matter is that its the American and British governments that don't respect others right to live specially Muslims and the facts speak for themselves. Regardless of Saddam's politics everyone in the international community agrees that Iraq was better of under Saddam, the illegal invasion tore the social fabric, infrastructure and stability of that country. The American government is the # 1 violator of international treaties that stipulate territorial integrity, UN charter that stipulates the safety and territorial integrity of member nations to be paramount and that no illegal invasions shall occur, and the Geneva conventions that speaks against prisoner mistreatment and states code of ethics in war. What other country invaded or violated so many countries territorial integrity besides America? None.
 
The basic argument here is which is more important, sovereignty or human rights. The UN historically has said sovereignty but lately there's been a shift towards human rights even to the point where the UN has said it will sanction invasions for the reason of punishing gross human rights violators, of course we all know that won't happen because of the competing interests on the Security Council. In the United States we hold human rights to be more important than national sovereignty, we also believe that sovereignty ultimately lies with the people and if the people are not given a voice then that nation's government is illigitimate and hence does not apply. Government should only be done by the consent of the people. Any government that feels it can oppress its people has broken the social contract established with those people and those with the means are duty bound to help those without.

[F]act of the matter is that its the American and British governments that don't respect others right to live...

Ironic coming from a member whose nation has been engaged in civil war for 20 years and serves as a safe haven for pirates.
 
Back
Top