Is Iran Running Militias in Iraq? Iraqi politicians say the growing U.S. claims of a clear link between Shi'ite militias and Tehran is pure scapegoating. And renewed Tehran-bashing in Washington could further complicate its efforts to end the civil warBy APARISIM GHOSH/BAGHDAD
Iraq's most powerful politician has dismissed claims by U.S. officials and generals that Iran is interfering in Baghdad's affairs. Abdul-Azziz al-Hakim has told TIME that despite repeated requests from him and other Iraqi politicians, American officials have failed to show any reliable evidence of Tehran's interference. "
has been making such claims for a long time," he said, "and for three years we've told them, 'Show us proof.' But they never have."
Hakim heads the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, the largest of Iraq's political parties. SCIRI has close ties to Tehran, and many of its leaders — including Hakim — spent many years in exile in Iraq during the Saddam Hussein era.
Many Shi'ite politicians dismiss as scape-goating the statements by Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and generals at the Pentagon that Iran is actively arming and training Sh'ite militias in Iraq. "They are looking for somebody to blame for the failure and it is easy to blame Iran," said Hadi al-Amiri, who heads the Iraqi parliament's security and defense committee, while also running the Badr Organization, a Shi'ite militia.
Even political observers not affiliated to the Shi'ite parties are likely to be surprised by Brig. Gen. Michael Barbero's claim, at a press conference Wednesday, that there was "irrefutable" evidence of Iranian collusion with Iraqi militias. That is the exact opposite of what U.S. military officials in Baghdad have been saying. Less than two weeks ago, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, told journalists that there "is nothing that we definitively have found to say that there are any Iranians operating within the country of Iraq." He added that although "some Shi'ite elements have been in Iran receiving training... the degree to which this is known and endorsed by the government of Iran is uncertain."
There is an ironic echo in Barbero's claim that Iran was helping the militias with technology to make improvised explosive devices, or IEDs; last year, U.S. officials said Tehran was supplying IED know-how to Iraq's Sunni insurgents. Several Sunni insurgent leaders — whose hatred of Iran compares with their animosity toward the U.S. — have told TIME they have no need of such outside help since their ranks include many explosives experts from Saddam's military.
(more)
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1333861,00.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
