Iran Secretly Sending Drones and Supplies Into Iraq, U.S. Officials Say
Source: NYTimes
By MICHAEL R. GORDON and ERIC SCHMITT
BRUSSELS Iran is directing surveillance drones over Iraq from an airfield in Baghdad and is secretly supplying Iraq with tons of military equipment, supplies and other assistance, American officials said. Tehran has also deployed an intelligence unit there to intercept communications, the officials said.
The secret Iranian programs are part of a broader effort by Tehran to gather intelligence and help Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Malikis government in its struggle against Sunni militants with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the head of Irans paramilitary Quds Force, has visited Iraq at least twice to help Iraqi military advisers plot strategy. And Iran has deployed about a dozen other Quds Force officers to advise Iraqi commanders, and help mobilize more than 2,000 Shiite militiamen from southern Iraq, American officials said.
Iranian transport planes have also been making two daily flights of military equipment and supplies to Baghdad 70 tons per flight for Iraqi security forces.
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/world/middleeast/iran-iraq.html?partner=EXCITE&ei=5043&_r=0
Secretary of State John Kerry met with Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief for the European Union, in Brussels on Wednesday. Credit Daniel Naupold/European Pressphoto Agency
Xithras
(16,191 posts)The Iraqi government publicly asked the Iranians for help, as has been reported in countless news articles lately. The Iranians have publicly stated that they will be assisting the Iraqi's and are assigning forces to Iraq, as has also been reported in countless news articles. Iranian military forces largely recaptured Tikrit nearly two weeks ago, with the blessing of the Iraqi government, so they have been engaging directly in heavy combat for some time now...as has been reported in countless news articles.
So who's being secretive? Did the NYT or American officials inject that word simply to make Iran's actions seem more ominous?
DLnyc
(2,479 posts)I guess it's okay when the US does it, but not when Iran does it???
IthinkThereforeIAM
(3,072 posts)... when reading of Assad's Syrian planes attacking ISIS positions on the Syria/Iraq border. Who cares who gets rid of the ISIS scourge. That may sound cold, but that is the point, isn't it? To get rid of ISIS threats?
DLnyc
(2,479 posts)Perhaps the various sides could temporarily put aside some of our differences and isolate, maybe even defeat, a group that we all seem to agree is dangerous.
The various sides that think ISIS is dangerous including:
--The US
--The Maliki government in Iraq
--Assad in Syria
--(Most of) the opposition in Syria
--Russia
--Iran
--The governments of Nigeria, Mali, Algeria, . . .
--Israel
-- . . .
?? pretty much everybody except Saudi Arabian royalty, Al Qaeda and John McCain ??
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Odd
marble falls
(56,358 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Instead of birds, the world loves remote control flying contraptions.
lovuian
(19,362 posts)perhaps we gave them the technology when they shot ours down
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Brother Buzz
(36,214 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Chemical weapons are the poor nation's nuke. Drones are cheaper than satellites and aircraft and pilots. We'll be at Einstein's prediction soon and just skip WW3 altogether:
I do not know how the Third World War will be fought, but I can tell you what they will use in the Fourth rocks!
~ Albert Einstein., in an interview with Alfred Werner, Liberal Judaism 16 (April-May 1949)
I think we're getting there. Not saying that's a bad thing, with the CWC signed onto by all but 5 nations, IIRC, the catastrophic war scenarios may be out of the reach of mankind. We've got larger concerns now.