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Crowds hold Iranian officials, detained
by the U.S. military in Iraq, on their shoulders as they arrive in
Tehran's Mehrabad airport July 12, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>> |
TEHRAN, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Five Iranians, including
three diplomats, who were freed by the U.S. military after more than twoyears in
detention, arrived in Tehran on Sunday, local English-language Press TV
reported.
The Iranians arrived in the Tehran's Mehrabad Airport
and were welcomed by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and family
members.
"U.S. kidnapping of Iranian
diplomats was an inhuman act," Mottaki told reporters in the airport, adding
that "we reserve the right to legally follow up this kidnapping case."
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Iranian officials, detained by the U.S.
military in Iraq, and Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki (C) pose
for a picture after arriving at Mehrabad airport in Tehran July 12, 2009.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
On Jan. 11, 2007, the U.S. troops raided the Iranian
Liaison Office in Iraq's Kurdish city of Arbil, capturing five mid-level
diplomats inside, two of which were later released, Press TV said.
Two other Iranians kidnapped elsewhere in Iraq by the
U.S. troops later joined the three diplomats in detention, said the report.
The U.S. military said the Iranian Liaison Office was
used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a local headquarters. However, both
Iranian and Kurdish autonomous region officials denied the accusation insisting
that the target was a diplomatic mission.
An official Iraqi television
reported on Thursday that the five Iranians had been handed over to Iraqi Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki's office.
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