Friday, January 5, 2007
U.S. Finds Iran's 'Smoking Gun' in Iraq
American forces have found a "smoking gun” that proves Iran is supporting the insurgency in Iraq — captured Iranian documents showing the country is abetting both Sunni and Shiite terrorists.
News that U.S. forces had captured Iranians in Iraq was reported in December. But now it’s come to light that the Iranians were carrying documents revealing their country’s activities in Iraq. An American intelligence official confirmed that Shiite Iran "is working closely with both the Shiite militias and Sunni Jihadist groups,” The New York Sun reported in an article headlined "Iran’s Secret Plan for Mayhem.”
The documents disclosed how the Quds Force — Iran’s elite revolutionary guard unit that supports Shiite Hezbollah and Shiite death squads — also supports individuals associated with al-Qaida in Iraq and the Sunni terror group Ansar al-Sunna.
Another U.S. official, who termed the captured documents a "smoking gun,” said: "We found plans for attacks, phone numbers affiliated with Sunni bad guys — a lot of things that filled in the blanks on what these guys are up to.”
According to the Sun, one document concludes that "Iraq’s Sunni neighbors will step up their efforts to aid insurgent groups and that it is imperative for Iran to redouble efforts to retain influence with them, as well as with Shiite militias.”
News that the Quds Force is actively supporting Sunni terrorists could threaten the close ties between Iraq’s ruling Shiites and Tehran. But U.S. policy-makers should be mindful of the new revelations that Iran is supporting Sunnis in Iraq as well as Shiites, according to Wayne White, a former State Department senior analyst on Iraq and Iran.
He told the Sun: "One example of a mindset that may hinder analysis of Iranian involvement is the belief that Iran would never have any dealings with militant Sunni Arabs. But they allowed hundreds of al-Qaida operatives to escape from Afghanistan across their territory in 2002.”
American forces have found a "smoking gun” that proves Iran is supporting the insurgency in Iraq — captured Iranian documents showing the country is abetting both Sunni and Shiite terrorists.
News that U.S. forces had captured Iranians in Iraq was reported in December. But now it’s come to light that the Iranians were carrying documents revealing their country’s activities in Iraq. An American intelligence official confirmed that Shiite Iran "is working closely with both the Shiite militias and Sunni Jihadist groups,” The New York Sun reported in an article headlined "Iran’s Secret Plan for Mayhem.”
The documents disclosed how the Quds Force — Iran’s elite revolutionary guard unit that supports Shiite Hezbollah and Shiite death squads — also supports individuals associated with al-Qaida in Iraq and the Sunni terror group Ansar al-Sunna.
Another U.S. official, who termed the captured documents a "smoking gun,” said: "We found plans for attacks, phone numbers affiliated with Sunni bad guys — a lot of things that filled in the blanks on what these guys are up to.”
According to the Sun, one document concludes that "Iraq’s Sunni neighbors will step up their efforts to aid insurgent groups and that it is imperative for Iran to redouble efforts to retain influence with them, as well as with Shiite militias.”
News that the Quds Force is actively supporting Sunni terrorists could threaten the close ties between Iraq’s ruling Shiites and Tehran. But U.S. policy-makers should be mindful of the new revelations that Iran is supporting Sunnis in Iraq as well as Shiites, according to Wayne White, a former State Department senior analyst on Iraq and Iran.
He told the Sun: "One example of a mindset that may hinder analysis of Iranian involvement is the belief that Iran would never have any dealings with militant Sunni Arabs. But they allowed hundreds of al-Qaida operatives to escape from Afghanistan across their territory in 2002.”
