Pakistan arrests 11 Revolutionary Guards near Iranian border
posted at 3:00 pm on October 26, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
If we’re not going to get serious about confronting Iranian meddling with the Taliban, it looks as though the Pakistanis will have to do it. Not that they have much choice, either, as apparently the Revolutionary Guard has begun to infiltrate across the border with Pakistan:
Pakistani police say they have arrested 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guards on suspicion of illegally entering the country.
The 11 officers were taken into custody in Mashkel, close to the countries’ border in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, police officer Dadur Raman said. He said officers were interrogating the men and had seized two vehicles.
Another security official said the guards had no travel documents.
“We need to probe that,” said Murtaza Baig, a spokesman for the paramilitary border force.
Ties between Pakistan and Iran have been strained since an Oct. 18 suicide attack killed 15 members of the powerful Revolutionary Guard, including five senior commanders, and at least 27 others in the town of Pishin on the Iranian side of the border.
Iranians blamed the suicide-bomb attack that killed dozens of senior IRG officers on Sunni radicals allegedly backed by Pakistan. Perhaps that’s why Tehran sent IRG officers into Pakistan, but the simpler explanation is that the Iranians have played footsie with the Taliban to keep the US, NATO, and Pakistan off balance. They’re not ideologically committed to them; they’re just a tool that Iran uses against the coalition, not unlike how we used them against the Soviets twenty years ago.
It will be interesting to see Iran’s reaction to the arrest. Will they apologize, or will they escalate by either disavowing any knowledge of their existence or claiming it to be a false-flag provocation, a la the Nazis on the Polish border 70 years ago? If it’s on the level, how many IRG infiltrators has Pakistan missed?
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
When this many crazed Islamists get together, the goats tremble in fear.
NoDonkey on October 26, 2009 at 3:02 PM
Opps. Sorry- we got lost on our way to Obama’s house…..
hawkman on October 26, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Trick or Treat!
kingsjester on October 26, 2009 at 3:06 PM
what would Joe do?
Hmmmmmm….
cmsinaz on October 26, 2009 at 3:07 PM
I feel a ‘blame Bush’ and/or ‘blame the US’ soon…
cmsinaz on October 26, 2009 at 3:08 PM
Does Iran have any Muslim allies? Seems like they don’t get along with any of their Muslim neighbors (the Northern neighbor is another story).
jwolf on October 26, 2009 at 3:14 PM
hawkman on October 26, 2009 at 3:15 PM
And by that he prolly means an anal probe with a suitable implement.
pseudonominus on October 26, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Blame Hussein and his Posse of Clowns for that!
BigMike252 on October 26, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Wowser. Obama’s Nobel Peace prize is the gift that just keeps on giving.
I take “Occam’s Razor” for $500, Ed.
.
locomotivebreath1901 on October 26, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Is Civil War in the ME that that bad??? Just saying
Oil Can on October 26, 2009 at 3:16 PM
I don’t understand the IRG, are they all officers and senior commanders or are there ranks of lesser status that could have been probing Pakistans defenses.
fourdeucer on October 26, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Wow, imagine that … Iran, pokin’ its nose across a border … it’s not like they’ve done THAT before *cough* Iraq *cough cough* … sorry, the swine flu must be gettin’ to me.
Tony737 on October 26, 2009 at 3:17 PM
VP Joe…
cmsinaz on October 26, 2009 at 3:18 PM
Does Iran have any Muslim allies? Seems like they don’t get along with any of their Muslim neighbors – J-Wolf
It’s a sunni-shiite thing.
Tony737 on October 26, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Over the weekend a Pasdaran general was very belligerent, saying that Iran would have to invade Pakistan in order to take care of the threat.
elduende on October 26, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Iran has many Muslim allies. Most countries with a predominant Shiite Muslim population identify with Iran, and see Iran as “Saudi Arabia” of the Shiite Muslim world. To name a few country/groups there are the Syrians (Alewites techinically, but close enough), Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, etc. Also, some Shiites in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq identify somewhat with the “Islamic Republic.”
Shock the Monkey on October 26, 2009 at 3:21 PM
OK, I just have to say it…They are the Shiite!
Oil Can on October 26, 2009 at 3:23 PM
I hear La Raza is coming to their defense…
Seven Percent Solution on October 26, 2009 at 3:24 PM
Sorry for lack of precision. I meant, does Iran have any allied Muslim nations?
jwolf on October 26, 2009 at 3:25 PM
Seven Percent Solution on October 26, 2009 at 3:24 PM
The Iranians were there to do “the jobs Pakistanis won’t do”.
Mainly, killing themselves.
NoDonkey on October 26, 2009 at 3:27 PM
Since when do people need documentation to enter and reside in another country? Oops, sorry….I’m so used to being an American that I forgot about the rest of the world.
These Iranians should be turned over to one of our allies, so Barry can make a call from the golf cart and get them released back to Iran. It’s the least he can do for Islamic
terrorists,fifth columnists,killers of American military…….brothers.Hening on October 26, 2009 at 3:28 PM
They didn’t cross the border…
… the border crossed them!
Maybe the Iranians were there to start ‘MEChA’ programs in Pakistani schools..
Seven Percent Solution on October 26, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Oh that’s never good. I doubt they mean “probe” in a US Army Field Manual kind of way.
Rocks on October 26, 2009 at 3:32 PM
For Iran to make a stink about this, they need to claim that the Pakis grabbed these 11 from Iranian soil and hauled them back into Pakistan.
Patrick S on October 26, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Hmmmm…. are these the same guys we captured in Iraq a couple years ago? You know, the ones we had to give back?
Romeo13 on October 26, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Hahaha awesome.
It depends. The Alawites who run Syria are practically the same thing as Shiite Muslims. Syria and Iran are close knit and both provide aid to terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Furthermore if you consider Hezbollah to be the real power broker in Lebanon (certainly the strongest faction in Lebanon), then there is a distant proxy alliance (aid goes through Iran to Syria to Hezbollah).
Shock the Monkey on October 26, 2009 at 3:35 PM
No, those guys came home heroes and got promotions. They get to “marry” the virgin protesters before they are hanged instead.
Rocks on October 26, 2009 at 3:36 PM
They must have already been probed some what if they are identified as officers with no documentation. I am sure it was done under extremely comfortable conditions.
fourdeucer on October 26, 2009 at 3:39 PM
That’s sick…….but you are probably correct. There is nothing Obama, Congress, Russia and Islam could do that would surprise me anymore. It’s like fighting WWII and having Mussolini as elected US president. We the people vs Potus and his friends.
Hening on October 26, 2009 at 3:41 PM
It’s not like the Iranians were trying to raise their flag in Pakistan or anything…
Seven Percent Solution on October 26, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Depends on who is fighting. The old Arab (yes, Persians are not Arabs before anyone tells me) maxim applies here: “Me against my brother. Me and my brother against my cousin. Me, my brother, and my cousin against the outsider.” And of course all the Islamic commands to kill various types of unbelievers, apostates, and troublemakers. 49.29 is often mistakenly cited as 49.25 on the Internet I just noticed. One person’s typo cascaded over the whole Internet I guess. Beginning of 49.29:
Even Wahhabi Arabs (who call Shia “Rafidite dogs”) and Persian Shia will often cooperate when it comes to killing “Jews” or “pagans.” But mostly Jews from the looks of things.
Beagle on October 26, 2009 at 3:47 PM
Obviously, Obama would say this is our, excuse me, Bush’s fault, and that he’s willing to work with the IRGC to accomodate their prejudices. I’d be scared to hear what Biden’s solution is…give the IRGC $200 million? split Pakistan into three provinces and give one of ‘em to Iran?
CP on October 26, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Romeo13 on October 26, 2009 at 3:33 PM
If so, they’re not all that valuable, are they?
Keep getting caught.
NoDonkey on October 26, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Interesting…I was wondering why they would directly interfere in Iraq but not in Afghanistan.
Dr. ZhivBlago on October 26, 2009 at 3:58 PM
All I can think of — is Holy Shitie – it sure looks Sunni over there….
wheels on October 26, 2009 at 3:59 PM
I hope we never show them how to use a hand grenade. Imagine how many more people they would kill if they realized that you could THROW the bomb instead of holding it until it goes off.
barnone on October 26, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Seymour Hersh in the New Yorkers says sources tell him it was Cheney and the neocons. A secret team of agents pretending to be Iranian guards.
Chris Matthews agrees.
Yeah, I made that up but had you for awhile, didn’t I?
SteveMG on October 26, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Losing all these IRGs is gonna put a serious crimp in their beating & killing of their own citizens. Time to outsource with some more Hezbollah enforcers?
GnuBreed on October 26, 2009 at 4:33 PM
Good timing
Now we can do the muslim thing and exchange these Iranians in Pakistan’s custody for our 3 hostages in Iran
macncheez on October 26, 2009 at 4:33 PM
Pakistan stands up, Europe and U.S. stand down?
If all goes as planned, the 27 member states of the European Union will soon have a common hate crime legislation, which will turn disapproval for Islamic practices or homosexual lifestyles into crimes. Europe’s Christian churches are trying to stop the plan of the European political establishment, but it is not clear if they will be successful.
.
.
.
Nevertheless, the almost complete silence of the European media and of public opinion on the important issues which are at stake, is worrying. Europe risks losing important fundamental freedoms, such as the freedom of speech and the freedom of opinion, but does not seem prepared to fight and preserve these freedoms. Perhaps the lack of interest of the inhabitants of Europe for legislation concocted at a supranational level explains the lack of interest in this matter.
The same phenomenon, a lack of interest on the part of European and also American public opinion, is apparent with regard to the semi-legal initiatives taken at the level of the United Nations. On October 2nd, the UN Human Rights Council approved a free speech resolution, co-sponsored by the US and Egypt, which criticizes “negative racial and religious stereotyping.” American diplomats said the decision to co-sponsor the resolution was part of America’s effort to “reach out to Muslim countries.” The resolution passed unanimously, with the support of all Western nations. Though the resolution has no immediate effect in law, it provides Muslim extremists with moral ammunition the next time they feel that central tenets of Islam are being treated disrespectfully through the creation of what they perceive to be an ‘offensive environment.’
MB4 on October 26, 2009 at 4:43 PM
It’s like whack a mole with these guy’s.
faol on October 26, 2009 at 4:44 PM
I remember visiting Pakistan back in 1992. While in the far north, i.e., Hunza, I saw people going wild over a visit, with jeeps running around the mountain roads blarring music while people shouted. There were banners everywhere. I asked what was going on and was told that some Iranian mullahs were coming. What few Shias Pakistan has are in the north where they sometimes get in riots with the local Sunnis. (The Ishmaeli’s, who are the only reasonable Muslims on Earth, try to stay out of the way and under the radar.) I can see why Iranians would come to Pakistan.
NNtrancer on October 26, 2009 at 4:58 PM
The operative question here is …
Can these 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guards golf ?
J_Crater on October 26, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Interesting…
Ever wonder who or what the IRG is?
Well… Presenting…the Iranian Revolutionary Guard!!
And this doesn’t count their 12 million strong civilian reserve which is trained up to aproxmintly the level our soldiers are after leaving basic training.
Ever wonder why our military doesn’t want a ground war in Iran? This is your answer.
Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran….
Papa Ray
Central Texas
The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed – where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once.
2009 Judge Alex Kozinski
Papa Ray on October 26, 2009 at 5:04 PM
If not mistaken …
Pre-911 the Taliban were sort of “protected” by the Pakis … and Iran did not like Tally’s cuz they didn’t like Paki’s.
Then after 911, Tally’s lost their Paki guardian angels – because G.W. told Pakistan they’d better SUPPORT US.
Then Iran goes … “Hey Tally’s, see you lost your sugar daddy? Hey … come play with us!”
I could be wrong … my memory … failing.
HondaV65 on October 26, 2009 at 5:28 PM
More of a fear of the Indo-European former superempire. Iran has Sunni and a Shiite allies and enemies, mostly depends on how far away they are. The last that would be fed to a resurgent Aryan superempire are more than those nearby who would go first.
jarodea on October 26, 2009 at 6:59 PM
The Taliban was created by the Pakistani govt and then nurtured by the ISI. Hard to say if the ISI has ever given up on them. With Iran however, I think it was more just any port in a storm, my enemy’s enemy, etc.
jarodea on October 26, 2009 at 7:01 PM
My money is on A LOT.
How many have infiltrated back into Iraq? And why did we release the ones we had?
dogsoldier on October 26, 2009 at 7:02 PM
Ouch, that sounds painful ;-)
flameofjudah on October 26, 2009 at 7:11 PM