Iranian-backed militia groups take control of much of southern Iraq

Knight Ridder ^ | May 26 2006 | TOM LASSETER

[jmc1969]

Southern Iraq, long touted as a peaceful region that's likely to be among the first areas returned to Iraqi control, is now dominated by Shiite Muslim warlords and militiamen who are laying the groundwork for an Islamic fundamentalist government, say senior British and Iraqi officials in the area.

The militias appear to be supported by Iranian intelligence or military units that are shipping weapons to the militias in Iraq and providing training for them in Iran.

Some British officials believe the Iranians want to hasten the withdrawal of U.S.-backed coalition forces to pave the way for Iran-friendly clerical rule.

Iranian influence is evident throughout the area. In one government office, an aide approached a Knight Ridder reporter and, mistaking him for an Iranian, said, "Don't be afraid to speak Farsi in Basra. We are a branch of Iran."

"We get an idea that (military training) courses are being run" in Iran, said Lt. Col. David Labouchere, who commands British units in the province of Maysan, north of Basra. "People are training on the other side of the border and then coming back."

British military officials suspect that the missile that was used to shoot down a British helicopter over Basra on May 6 came from Iran. Five British soldiers died.

"We had intelligence suggesting five surface-to-air missile systems being brought over from Iran only seven days before it went down," said Maj. Rob Yuill, a British officer based in Basra.

Yuill said that the information suggested that the missiles were destined for the Mahdi Army, the militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Another Sadr official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from other Sadrists, said that while the Mahdi Army wasn't responsible, "the missile was shot by an Iranian-trained group."

[jmc1969]

The Brits had 30-40,000 troops at the beginning of the war and have slowly been moving forces out. If they kept those numbers and been a bit more active and less confined to base I think they would have done great.

Politics has been a bigger hinderence of the Brit war effort then the US war effort.

[Marine_Uncle]

"Politics has been a bigger hinderence of the Brit war effort then the US war effort."
Good points about the original number of British forces. Quite frankly I forgot they had such a large number. And I have to agree in full on your assesment regarding their political situation.
I think it is fair to indicate, with the mostly quiet Shiite in this region, the British may simply have felt they did not have to keep as many ground elements. And the combined coalition troops in the south probably where sufficient, and all appeared to be stable. And a good point I think would be where the British Black Watch moved up to al Mahmudiya some 20 klicks south of Baghdad in the fall of 2004 to replace the US Marine 2/2 (Warlords) as they moved to camp MEK at Fallujah. And there was no increased enemy activities in the south during their [Black Watch] repositioning.
So for all we know, the ground commanders may simply have felt the south was adequately covered. And no one really screwed up.

[Allegra]

I have e-mailed a co-worker at our Basra office to get the real dirt on this.

I'll let you know when I hear anything.

[Allegra]

While there have been some problems in Basra of late, I have a feeling that there is some exaggeration in this article. (Gosh...the media wouldn't do THAT, would they???)

The fundamentalist Shiites (backed by Iran) have been causing problems in that region for some time. However, I believe saying that most of southern Iraq is under their control may be carrying things a bit too far.

Anyway, I have e-mailed a counterpart at our Basra camp to get his perspective and will report if he has anything interesting to back up any of these claims.

[Darkwolf377]

Thanks for that, I look forward to any clarification.

[SE Mom]

Thank you:) I don't trust the media reports on what's going on over there..but this seemed alarming.

[Marine_Uncle]

"Anyway, I have e-mailed a counterpart at our Basra camp to get his perspective and will report if he has anything interesting to back up any of these claims."
Thanks for the input and insite. I will look forward to seeing some further elucidation on this issue.
One thing in my blabbing...I did not meantion was that many Shiite in the southern provinces appear to be literally docile , where they just want to be left alone to live in their tribal customs. They are poor, have been super mistreated by the Butcher of Baggy Dad's filth bag corps., and for instance the Marsh Arabs, only made extinct.
They where liberated from this horror story.
They wait patiently for a new government to help them out of their misery. It is hard to imagine they are against the US/British and other Coalition men and women that continue to only give them things such as medical care, build schools and provide new safe water treatment plants for them.
And once again for all of us. Most Arabs do not get along well with the Persians.

[A. Pole]

"[...] A Shiite regional government might also greatly enhance Iran's regional influence by giving it a strategic Shiite partner with vast amounts of oil in a Middle East dominated by Sunni-run countries. Neighboring Kuwait's population is about one-third Shiite, and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia's oil-rich Eastern Province are majority Shiite. [...]"

[A. Pole]

The biggest mistake has been turning our Army into a peacekeeping force while the Iranians, Sadr, the Saddamists, and al-Qaeda are playing for keeps. We need to shut them down hard and soon.

Too late. That is why Ronald Reagan was supporting Saddam Hussein.

[Fred Nerks]

Analysis: Tehran Confronts An Ethnically Diverse Population By Bill Samii

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The southwestern Khuzestan Province has been the site of deadly bombings in the past year, in addition to demonstrations that have included antigovernment protests. Two men were executed over their alleged roles in bombings, in October, after their heavily edited confessions were televised along with those of their suspected cohorts.

Ahvaz Prosecutor-General Iraj Amirkhani announced on state radio on May 1 that 25 people have been arrested in connection with bombings that took place as recently as January. Several days later, on May 3, the official government newspaper reported the arrest of a "Wahhabi sheikh" for involvement in the unrest and bombings.

Arab Unrest

There are about 2 million ethnic Arabs in Iran, composing about 3 percent of the population. Many of them reside in Khuzestan Province. Amnesty International recently expressed concern over the treatment of politically active ethnic Arabs, including suggesting that authorities are imprisoning family members in an effort to lure them out of hiding.

Authorities have also announced the establishment of a new base for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Khuzestan Province. IRGC commander Major-General Yahya Rahim-Safavi said that the Abu al-Fadl base will help "maintain lasting security," according to a local television report on April 27.

Rahim-Safavi noted that "about 80 percent of Iranian oil resources" are situated in a region that includes Khuzestan and extends to the northern part of the Persian Gulf, "Etemad," reported on April 27.

Some of the discontent in Khuzestan can be attributed to a lack of public services. The supreme leader's representative in the area, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Musavi-Jazayeri, told provincial officials on May 3 that they must attend to public needs if they are to improve the situation. He encouraged the completion of unfinished development projects. Musavi-Jazayeri also called it "the year for creating a major change in the province and taking steps toward comprehensive progress."

The provincial governor-general, Amir Hayat-Moqaddam, told those same leaders that Khuzestan is among the country's top recipients of development funding.

snipped...

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/05/96d3dd51-eed7-44a5-849e-dadaf2e35bd4.html

Khuzestan - without it, the Mullahs and ape-features will need a magic carpet factory...or a nuclear threat; methinks the regime is aware they could lose Khuzestan. There goes their income. 80% of Iran's oil production, gone, bingo.

Shoe's on the other foot. Lookie where there refineries are: ABADAN

[Iris7]

"We will send them a warning in the form of DVDs of the Jennifer Lopez HBO special."

Nicely put. You have put your finger on Ahmadinejad's carotid artery. He indeed hates and fears "Western Depravity". He is right to be afraid.

The Cultural Weapon is more destructive than a thousand H-Bombs.

[A CA Guy]

Plus Jennifer Lopez sweats so much that she could drown him.

[M. Espinola]

Excellent petloium map and sat-photo.

The oil/natural gas production zone of mid to southwestern Iran is populated with predominantly Arabs, a population increasingly sick and tired of the iron hand of the mullah controlled 'Persian' régime.

[Fred Nerks]

One false step and Ape Features could lose all those eggs Iran has in one basket...and he knows it!

[BIGLOOK]

MI Ping

[Fred Nerks]

http://www.jeffvail.net/2006/01/keep-eye-on-khuzestan.html