NYT war drums: Iran May Have Trained Attackers That Killed 5 American Soldiers, U.S. and Iraqis Say

[Eugene]

Iran May Have Trained Attackers That Killed 5 American Soldiers, U.S. and Iraqis Say

By JAMES GLANZ and MARK MAZZETTI
Published: January 31, 2007

BAGHDAD, Jan. 30 — Investigators say they believe that attackers who used American-
style uniforms and weapons to infiltrate a secure compound and kill five American
soldiers in Karbala on Jan. 20 may have been trained and financed by Iranian agents,
according to American and Iraqi officials knowledgeable about the inquiry.

The officials said the sophistication of the attack astonished investigators, who doubt
that Iraqis could have carried it out on their own — one reason a connection to Iran is
being closely examined. Officials cautioned that no firm conclusions had been drawn and
did not reveal any direct evidence of a connection.

A senior Iraqi official said the attackers had carried forged American identity cards
and American-style M-4 rifles and had thrown stun grenades of a kind used only by
American forces here.

-snip-

The suspects have also told investigators that “a religious group in Najaf” was involved
in the operation, the Iraqi said, in a clear reference to the Mahdi Army, the militia
controlled by the breakaway Shiite cleric, Moktada al-Sadr. If that information holds up,
it would dovetail with assertions by several Iraqi officials that Iran is financing and
training a small number of splinter groups from the Mahdi Army to carry out special
operations and assassinations.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/world/middleeast/31karbala.html

The propaganda machine is running full tilt.

Muqtada al-Sadr works for Iran? I heard he has his own agenda.

[spanone]

1. All the May Have News that fits.

[My Veracity]

4. I expected this as soon as I heard Dubya say ..

'the United States "will respond firmly" if Iran escalates military action in Iraq and endangers American forces'

It was so predictable. I knew that them releasing a statement like that which, was ALL OVER the mass media channels, meant that they had so information that they needed to use and manipulate to fit into a scenario.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070129/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iran

[rfranklin]

2. May have?...Good enough...bombs away!

When you want to do something bad enough, any reason is good enough.

[Fresh_Start]

3. NY Times may have trained attackers who killed 5 Americans

somehow or other it does not appear to rise to the lvl of actionable intelligence

[Zhade]

5. Who wrote this bullshit? Judy Miller?

NT!

[robertpaulsen]

6. Geez, did Abram Shulsky stay up all night thinking up this one?

Military and non-military intelligence sources have also raised worries over what some describe to as “the Iran group” and others as “the Iran working group” and still others as a “cabal” operating out of the Pentagon.

A recent article by Laura Rozen for the Los Angeles Times revealed the Pentagon has created yet another Office of Special Plans-type body called the Directorate for Iran, or the Iranian Directorate.

snip

Moreover, sources say that the Iranian Directorate is staffed with many of the same people, including OSP’s former director Abram Shulsky, and receives expert analysis from such controversial figures as Project for the New American Century member Reuel Marc Gerecht, who by all accounts was a failure as a CIA field officer. It also includes military personnel such as Ladan Archin, who appears to be serving in the Larry Franklin analyst role among a sea of think-tank operatives and neoconservative war hawks.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Pentagon_confirms_Iranian_directorate_as_intelligence_0615.html

It's deja vu all over again, folks.

[bigtree]

7. these folks are 0 for 0 with their accusations.

who should believe them now?


Bush's Muckraking Militarism Toward Iraq And Iran Is The Greatest Threat To Our Security
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=92595&mesg_id=92595

[femmedem]

8. Yup, those Iranians sure are articulate. n/t

[Jacobin]

9. ooooooo, Trainers of Mass Destruction!!! TMD's!!!

They've finally found them and and and they're in IRAN!!!

Attack attack attack!!

[Captain Hilts]

10. "May." Might not have. "May." Might not have. nt