January 13, 2007	Saturday	Zilhaj 22, 1427

MOSCOW, Jan 12: The Russia’s foreign ministry said on Friday a raid by US troops on an Iranian government office in northern Iraq was unacceptable and a violation of international rules.

“It is absolutely unacceptable for troops to storm the consular offices of a foreign state on the territory of another state,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its website www.mid.ru.

“This is a flagrant violation of the Vienna convention on consular relations. It is also not clear how this fits in with American statements that Washington respects the sovereignty of Iraq,” it said.

US forces were on Friday holding five Iranians they detained during the raid on the Iranian liaison office in the city of Arbil, in Iraq’s Kurdish north.—Reuters