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.