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http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/iran_u.s._weapons/2008/02/17/73440.html
Iran-Backed Groups Using Secret Arms Stores: U.S.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
BAGHDAD -- The U.S. military said on Sunday it had evidence Iranian-backed
Shi'ite militias in Iraq were increasingly using secret weapons stores to
attack U.S. and Iraqi forces.
The accusation comes days after Tehran postponed talks with the United
States on improving security in Iraq for "technical reasons," a move that
prompted rebukes from U.S. officials.
"In just the past week, Iraqi and coalition forces captured 212 weapons
caches across Iraq, two of those inside Baghdad, (which have) growing links
to Iranian-backed special groups," military spokesman Real Admiral Gregory
Smith told reporters.
The military uses the term "special groups" to describe rogue elements in
the Mehdi Army militia of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. It says these
militants get weapons, funding and training from neighboring Iran.
Smith was speaking at a news conference in which he lauded recent security
gains in Iraq, adding that on some days attacks had dropped to below 40 a
day, the lowest level since 2004.
Highlighting the fragility of the gains, a female suicide bomber killed at
least three people in central Baghdad, police said. The U.S. military said
only the bomber was killed.
Two U.S. soldiers were also killed by insurgents in Diyala province
northeast of Baghdad, the military said.
Washington, at loggerheads with Shi'ite Iran over its nuclear plans, accuses
Tehran of destabilizing Iraq by arming Shi'ite groups. Iran denies the
accusations and blames the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 for the
violence.
Smith said there was no evidence of increased arms shipments to Iraq from
Iran, but added that Iranian-backed groups were increasingly using secret
stores of weapons to launch attacks.
"What we're seeing is an increase in the use of weapons by Iranian-backed
special groups," he said, adding the number of weapons caches found in
January was the largest in a year.
BITTER ENEMIES
The U.S.-Iranian security talks are one of the few forums in which officials
from the two bitter foes have direct contact. Diplomatic ties have been
frozen for almost three decades.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said technical reasons were behind the delay in
talks between Iranian and U.S. officials in Baghdad, but did not elaborate.
Tehran on Thursday postponed what would have been a fourth round of
discussions.
David Satterfield, the U.S. State Department's Iraq coordinator, said on
Friday Iran was "intent on continuing to promote violence within Iraq."
Violence has fallen 60 percent across Iraq since 30,000 additional U.S.
troops became fully deployed in June.
Vital to better security has been a decision by Sunni Arab tribal leaders to
turn against Sunni Islamist al Qaeda, and form groups to drive them out.
The U.S.-backed groups, called concerned local citizens (CLCs) by the
military, have 80,000 men across Iraq. They man checkpoints and provide
intelligence on militant hideouts.
But cracks have appeared in ties with U.S. and Iraqi forces.
One CLC group said it was suspending its activities after three members were
killed in an incident near the town of Jurf al-Sukr, south of Baghdad on
Friday.
The unit blamed U.S. soldiers for the deaths. The U.S. military said attack
helicopters had responded with rockets after security forces came under
small-arms fire.
Smith said any incidents were investigated.
"Coalition forces are working with CLCs to bring about security. They are
certainly not targeting CLCs," he said.
In the southern city of Basra, a CBS News journalist continued to be held by
kidnappers after being captured a week ago. Efforts to free the Briton, who
has not been named, were being held up over talks about how he should be
released, negotiators said.
Iran-Backed Groups Using Secret Arms Stores: U.S.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
BAGHDAD -- The U.S. military said on Sunday it had evidence Iranian-backed
Shi'ite militias in Iraq were increasingly using secret weapons stores to
attack U.S. and Iraqi forces.
The accusation comes days after Tehran postponed talks with the United
States on improving security in Iraq for "technical reasons," a move that
prompted rebukes from U.S. officials.
"In just the past week, Iraqi and coalition forces captured 212 weapons
caches across Iraq, two of those inside Baghdad, (which have) growing links
to Iranian-backed special groups," military spokesman Real Admiral Gregory
Smith told reporters.
The military uses the term "special groups" to describe rogue elements in
the Mehdi Army militia of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. It says these
militants get weapons, funding and training from neighboring Iran.
Smith was speaking at a news conference in which he lauded recent security
gains in Iraq, adding that on some days attacks had dropped to below 40 a
day, the lowest level since 2004.
Highlighting the fragility of the gains, a female suicide bomber killed at
least three people in central Baghdad, police said. The U.S. military said
only the bomber was killed.
Two U.S. soldiers were also killed by insurgents in Diyala province
northeast of Baghdad, the military said.
Washington, at loggerheads with Shi'ite Iran over its nuclear plans, accuses
Tehran of destabilizing Iraq by arming Shi'ite groups. Iran denies the
accusations and blames the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 for the
violence.
Smith said there was no evidence of increased arms shipments to Iraq from
Iran, but added that Iranian-backed groups were increasingly using secret
stores of weapons to launch attacks.
"What we're seeing is an increase in the use of weapons by Iranian-backed
special groups," he said, adding the number of weapons caches found in
January was the largest in a year.
BITTER ENEMIES
The U.S.-Iranian security talks are one of the few forums in which officials
from the two bitter foes have direct contact. Diplomatic ties have been
frozen for almost three decades.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said technical reasons were behind the delay in
talks between Iranian and U.S. officials in Baghdad, but did not elaborate.
Tehran on Thursday postponed what would have been a fourth round of
discussions.
David Satterfield, the U.S. State Department's Iraq coordinator, said on
Friday Iran was "intent on continuing to promote violence within Iraq."
Violence has fallen 60 percent across Iraq since 30,000 additional U.S.
troops became fully deployed in June.
Vital to better security has been a decision by Sunni Arab tribal leaders to
turn against Sunni Islamist al Qaeda, and form groups to drive them out.
The U.S.-backed groups, called concerned local citizens (CLCs) by the
military, have 80,000 men across Iraq. They man checkpoints and provide
intelligence on militant hideouts.
But cracks have appeared in ties with U.S. and Iraqi forces.
One CLC group said it was suspending its activities after three members were
killed in an incident near the town of Jurf al-Sukr, south of Baghdad on
Friday.
The unit blamed U.S. soldiers for the deaths. The U.S. military said attack
helicopters had responded with rockets after security forces came under
small-arms fire.
Smith said any incidents were investigated.
"Coalition forces are working with CLCs to bring about security. They are
certainly not targeting CLCs," he said.
In the southern city of Basra, a CBS News journalist continued to be held by
kidnappers after being captured a week ago. Efforts to free the Briton, who
has not been named, were being held up over talks about how he should be
released, negotiators said.
