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May-23rd-2007, 04:47 PM
Tehran's secret plan
Simon Tisdall
Guardian Weekly
US officials claim that Iran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq to prepare for a summer showdown with coalition forces. This is intended to tip the US Congress into voting for full military withdrawal.
"Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq and it's a very dangerous course for them to be following," a senior US official in Baghdad warned. "They [Iran] are behind a lot of high-profile attacks meant to undermine US and British will, such as the rocket attacks on Basra palace and the Green Zone [in Baghdad]. The attacks are directed by the Revolutionary Guard who are connected right to the top [of the Iranian government]."
Article continues
The official said US commanders were bracing for a Iranian-orchestrated offensive, linking insurgents to Tehran's Shia militia allies that Iran hoped would cause a political mutiny in Washington and a US retreat. It was expected that al-Qaida and Iran will attempt to increase the propaganda and violence before September, when the US commander General David Petraeus will report to Congress on President George Bush's security "surge" of 30,000 troop reinforcements. The official said that "relationships between Iran and groups like al-Qaida are very fluid. It often comes down to individuals, and people constantly move around. But the whole Iran- al-Qaida linkup is very sinister."
Iran has maintained close links to Iraq's Shia political parties and militias but has not previously collaborated with al-Qaida and Sunni insurgents. US officials now say they have firm evidence that Tehran has switched tack as it senses a chance of victory in Iraq.
The official said Tehran's strategy is national in scope and not confined to the Shia south, its traditional sphere of influence. It included stepped-up coordination with Shia militias such as Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army as well as Syrian-backed Sunni Arab groups and al-Qaida in Mesopotamia. Iran was also expanding contacts with paramilitary forces and political groups, including Kurdish parties such as the PUK, a US ally.
Source: Guardian
Full Article Click Here:
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search?search=Iran&sitesearch-radio=guardian&fr=cb-guardian&go-guardian=Search
Simon Tisdall
Guardian Weekly
US officials claim that Iran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq to prepare for a summer showdown with coalition forces. This is intended to tip the US Congress into voting for full military withdrawal.
"Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq and it's a very dangerous course for them to be following," a senior US official in Baghdad warned. "They [Iran] are behind a lot of high-profile attacks meant to undermine US and British will, such as the rocket attacks on Basra palace and the Green Zone [in Baghdad]. The attacks are directed by the Revolutionary Guard who are connected right to the top [of the Iranian government]."
Article continues
The official said US commanders were bracing for a Iranian-orchestrated offensive, linking insurgents to Tehran's Shia militia allies that Iran hoped would cause a political mutiny in Washington and a US retreat. It was expected that al-Qaida and Iran will attempt to increase the propaganda and violence before September, when the US commander General David Petraeus will report to Congress on President George Bush's security "surge" of 30,000 troop reinforcements. The official said that "relationships between Iran and groups like al-Qaida are very fluid. It often comes down to individuals, and people constantly move around. But the whole Iran- al-Qaida linkup is very sinister."
Iran has maintained close links to Iraq's Shia political parties and militias but has not previously collaborated with al-Qaida and Sunni insurgents. US officials now say they have firm evidence that Tehran has switched tack as it senses a chance of victory in Iraq.
The official said Tehran's strategy is national in scope and not confined to the Shia south, its traditional sphere of influence. It included stepped-up coordination with Shia militias such as Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army as well as Syrian-backed Sunni Arab groups and al-Qaida in Mesopotamia. Iran was also expanding contacts with paramilitary forces and political groups, including Kurdish parties such as the PUK, a US ally.
Source: Guardian
Full Article Click Here:
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search?search=Iran&sitesearch-radio=guardian&fr=cb-guardian&go-guardian=Search