According to a report in U.S. News, last September Iraninan soldiers crossed the border into Iraq and attacked a force of Iraqi soldiers and the American troops advising them. U.S. News points to this document, provided by the 101st Airborne Division:
5-73 Cav was conducting a joint border patrol of the Iraq/Iran border with soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division east of Balad Ruz. During the conduct of the patrol, the patrol observed two Iranian soldiers run from Iraq back across the Iranian border as they approached. Later, the patrol came upon a single Iranian soldier on the Iraqi side of the border who did not flee.
As the patrol was speaking to the Iranian soldier, they were approached by a platoon-size element of Iranian soldiers. An Iranian border captain informed the joint Iraqi and Coalition force patrol that if they tried to leave their location the Iranians would fire upon them.
While talking to the Iranian border captain, the patrol was engaged by Iranian forces with smallarms and RPG fire. The CF Soldiers returned fire to break contact and left the area to report the incident. The Iranian forces continued to fire indirect fire well into Iraq as CF Soldiers withdrew; for reasons unknown at this time, the Iraqi Army forces remained behind.
Additional Coalition and Iraqi forces moved into the area to search for the Iraqis, but have been unable to locate them.
Coalition forces continue to show impressive restraint in the face of Iranian provocations like the capture today of 15 British Marines by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. But would a hostage situation involving American soldiers evolve differently? Probably. I can imagine this magazine’s editorial, and the title does not read “Summon the Iranian Ambassador”.
