IRAQ: IRANIAN INFILTRATORS REPORTED IN BASRA (Badr Organization involved in US journalist death?)

AKI ^ | 2005 Nov 25

[Wiz]

Basra, 25 Nov. (AKI) - A security source in the southern Iraqi city of Basra has revealed that the local authorities are investigating three Iranians who entered the city illegally. The source, who asked to remain anonymous, said the intelligence services in the province are carrying out inquiries into several people working for the Iranian secret services who arrived in the city last week.

According to information released by one of the local religious movements, the three people arrived in the city to issue directives on the killing of several Basra citizens, including several journalists, who feature on a long list of Iran's potential targets.

The security source said that as part of the inquiry, agents raided a house in the 'Five Miles' area, where the infiltrators are believed to be hiding. The anonymous source also said that information gathered could prove the involvement of the 'Badr' Organisation [the military arm of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, SCIRI] in the killing of the American journalist and writer Steven Vincent, several months ago in Basra.

[Wiz]

Badr brigade is the militia division of SCIRI. Steven Vincent has been criticizing the influence of Islamist in the city, and not one of those liberal journalists as far as I know. This has been rumoured to be the reason why he was killed, but I never thought the Badr brigade would be involved, since not many conflicts have been reported between the US Armed Force.

[Wiz]

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