Posted on 02/13/2007 10:54:01 AM PST by nuconvert
Pace Demurs on Accusation of Iran
February 13, 2007
The Washington Post
Karen DeYoung
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said yesterday that he has no information indicating Iran's government is directing the supply of lethal weapons to Shiite insurgent groups in Iraq.
"We know that the explosively formed projectiles are manufactured in Iran," Pace told Voice of America during a visit to Australia. "What I would not say is that the Iranian government, per se, knows about this."
"It is clear that Iranians are involved, and it's clear that materials from Iran are involved," he continued, "but I would not say by what I know that the Iranian government clearly knows or is complicit."
Pace's comments came a day after U.S. military officials in Baghdad alleged that the "highest levels" of the Iranian government have directed use of weapons that are killing U.S. troops in Iraq. No information was provided to substantiate the charge. Administration officials yesterday deflected requests for more details, even as they repeatedly implied Tehran's involvement.
In an interview yesterday with ABC's "Good Morning America," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the administration is "pointing fingers at others" when its troop presence in Iraq is the source of most of the country's problems.
While not denying that Iranian weapons may have been found in Iraq, Ahmadinejad implied that if they were, it was not his government's doing. "Can Americans close their long borders?" he asked, noting that "millions" of Iranians cross the border into neighboring Iraq each year. "The position of our government . . . and the position of the Revolutionary Guard is also the same: We are opposed to any kind of conflict in Iraq."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
It's a bad sign when generals start hedging and speaking like politicans.
Unbelievable, can these freaking bozos get their shit straight just one time?
Regrettably, having known a few flag-rank officers, and how they got there, appointments to their level is more political than we would care to know.
Westmoreland was the ultimate politico. They finally replaced him with someone that knew we were at war in Vietnam. We managed a victory after that but Kennedy preferred a defeat and we demurred to his exalted judgement.
I don't think it much matters what organization one is speaking of, to get to the higher rungs of the ladder, one must be political.
That being said, Pace is probably wise to speak this way unless or until we have the smoking gun.
Concur. He won't be caught in a Tenet-esque "Slam dunk!" situation...
Bush says "Iran Act of War" and Iran digs in, and stays at max alert till we cave in their misshapen and undersized skulls.
Bush says "Act of War" ONCE, and Libtards go nuts.
Lower level officials offer courtroom quality evidence, repeatedly, over time, with conflicting reports from other officials, and Iran stays at lower levels of alert, and the Dims are too busy wagging their jaws about "insufficient proof" to even think about taking real and meaningful steps to prevent an attack.
Bottom line, more than enough force is in place.
Keeping that force in place is damned expensive.
We are either going to kick Iran out of Iraq, hoping they will give us the excuse to end their nuclear ambitions, or else we are teeing up to kick Iran out of IRAN.
One of the two, take it to the bank.
New moon Saturday. More than one night of clear weather beginning Friday. No guarantees on timing, but several curves reach maxima this weekend.
Perhaps we've agreed not to talk about their involvement in exchange for them toning down their anti-Israel rhetoric.
Fingers crossed.
Iraq just closed Iran and Syria borders.
See thread here at FR.
Three days. A lot can happen in three days.
Not Iran's fault. I feel better already. Not. So what are we going to do? Kill massive numbers of these cruds? I hope so..otherwise it'll get worse.
Rumfield talked about Syrian and Iranian involvement years ago. They lost the stuff?
?
John Grimes?
sarasota wrote:
Three days. A lot can happen in three days.
Yes.
I'd prefer 7.
Don't think we'll get it, understand and agree with why, but still prefer 7.
In 7 days, you can accomplish three things.
AD has to come first.
The second is the obvious objective.
The third might buy us some long term breathing room in Iraq.
Time will tell.
indeed. looks like he's a spinmeister with medals on.
General Pace is just speaking about what he personally knows at the moment.
Good lord folks, take a breath.
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