Document: Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban

The Blotter ^ | 6-6-07 | Brian Ross and Christopher Isham

[Danae]

NATO officials say they have caught Iran red-handed, shipping heavy arms, C4 explosives and advanced roadside bombs to the Taliban for use against NATO forces, in what the officials say is a dramatic escalation of Iran's proxy war against the United States and Great Britain.

"It is inconceivable that it is anyone other than the Iranian government that's doing it," said former White House counterterrorism official Richard Clarke, an ABC News consultant.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stopped short earlier this week of blaming Iran, saying the U.S. did not have evidence "of the involvement of the Iranian government in support of the Taliban."

But an analysis by a senior coalition official, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, concludes there is clear evidence of Iran's involvement.

"This is part of a considered policy," says the analysis, "rather than the result of low-level corruption and weapons smuggling."

Iran and the Taliban had been fierce enemies when the Taliban was in power in Afghanistan, and their apparent collaboration came as a surprise to some in the intelligence community.

"I think their goal is to make it very clear that Iran has the capability to make life worse for the United States on a variety of fronts," said Seth Jones of the Rand Institute, "even if they have to do some business with a group that has historically been their enemy."

The coalition analysis says munitions recovered in two Iranian convoys, on April 11 and May 3, had "clear indications that they originated in Iran. Some were identical to Iranian supplied goods previously discovered in Iraq."

The April convoy was tracked from Iran into Helmand province and led a fierce firefight that destroyed one vehicle, according to the official analysis. A second vehicle was reportedly found to contain small arms ammunition, mortar rounds and more than 650 pounds of C4 demolition charges.

A second convoy of two vehicles was spotted on May 3 and led to the capture of five occupants and the seizure of RPG-7mm rockets and more than 1,000 pounds of C4, the analysis says.

Also among the munitions are components for the lethal EFPs, or explosive formed projectiles, the roadside bombs that U.S. officials say Iran has provided to Iraqi insurgents with deadly results.

"These clearly have the hallmarks of the Iranian Revolution Guards' Quds force," said Jones.

The coalition diplomatic message says the demolition charges "contained the same fake U.S. markings found on explosives recovered from insurgents operating in the Baghdad area."

"We believe these intercepted munitions are part of a much bigger flow of support from Iran to the Taliban," the message says.

The Taliban receives larger supplies of weapons through profits from opium dealing, officials say, but the Iranian presence could be significant.

"It means the insurgency in Afghanistan is likely to be prolonged," said Jones. "It would be a much more potent force."

[tomnbeverly]

and so what is the Democrats response to this?

probably something like: Hyped intel to justify Bush’s upcoming war with Iran?

Iran just wants us out of the ME and nuclear power like Israel has.....

Democrats are the enemy of Israel too bad most Jews are Democrats talk about lemmings.... jeez

[elhombrelibre]

Frankly, we’re at a historic juncture. We can deal with the mad mullah problem now, or we’ll deal with it later perforce. But the day of reckoning is coming whether we want it or not.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Unfortunately, President Bush -like x42- won’t even untwirl their turbans.

This news appears ONLY because the left thinks it might provide hard evidence that Bush is “forcing” yet another country (Iran) to get “really really mad” at the USA, and that makes them feel bad. Waaah!

[printhead]

Two Iranian convoys with clear indications that they originated in Iran, I’ll bet they came from Iran.

[stboz]

And, yet sadly we won’t do a thing about it.

As posted before, El Presidente Boosh es en Mexico recuting volunteers to do the trabajo that joo gringoes don' wanna do.

[DocRock]

bookmark

[toddlintown]

“And, yet sadly we won’t do a thing about it.”

Sure we will. We’ll send Condi, take some pictures, and give her another excuse for why she doesn’t have a date next weekend.

[Marine_Uncle]

The problem is. How do we deal with them. They are so insulated by design. At the first sign of any incoming toward Tehran, they would all scurry into bomb proof shelters deep underground or high tail it off to points unknown.
Only the direct intervention by a vast majority of royally pissed off Iranians crying for them to be kicked out (arrested and tried and put on the gallows), and fully backed by the military who would somehow be able to counter the RG's vast military assets might bring them down.
They have fully prepared for the worse scenarios many years back in how and who they allow to help run the country.
And sadly, there appears to be a large percentage of Iranians that are neutral or acccept the Islamic laws etc., as a way of life.
How do we take them out without totally destroying the country of Iran? I pose the question with no reason to expect any answers, that have not been covered over and over again. At any rate. I have to hit the rack. Gotta get up around 3:30AM to be at work at 5AM. No joy in that.

[Calpernia]

FYI

[montag813]

Document: Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban

(1) "Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
George W. Bush, September 20, 2001

(2) The Bush Doctrine: "The United States will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them"
(George W. Bush, June 1, 2002)

So what will we do?

Nothing.

[elhombrelibre]

In my opinion, the whole purpose and only purpose of attacking Iran would be to destroy its military infrastructure. I advocate destroying their radars, their air defense systems, their nuclear research and development facilities, their air force, their ships, their ammunition storage areas, their weapons plants, their secret police buildings, and as much of their tanks and artillery pieces. This would be a prolonged air/sea campaign that would be unrelenting until Iran's capacity to support terror or to develop nuclear weapons is shattered. But regime change, while highly desirable, in this case would be up to the Iranian people. With the Iranian people presently either cowed or docile, they can either seek to change their country after the air campaign or they can continue to live in the squalor the mad mullahs have brought them to.

[jveritas]

The way I envision it, there will be a sudden and undeclared massive air strike against the Iranian terrorist regime nuclear facilities and this will take 5-7 days. Depending on how the Iranian responds the war will escalate tremendously from our side. If Iran hits oil tankers, or oil infrastructure in other Gulf states, or hit our Navy ships, or our bases in the area, then the air and naval war will expend to destroy the terrorist regime military infrastructures, command and control centers, and its refining capacity but not the oil and gas production facilities. This will last for 3 to 4 weeks.

The terrorist regime in Tehran will not survive this air and naval war, they will be very weakened, the Iranian people will rise against them and this time unlike the 1991 Gulf War against Saddam, the American military will support the Iranian people in term of Air support and destruction of what ever military left loyal to the terrorist mullahs that is going to oppress the people of Iran.

[Political Junkie Too]

Don't you think that Russia and China will interfere at some point, or will they let the USA/NATO have free reign to do what you laid out?

-PJ

[free_for_now]

This particular reaction so far:

“We shoulda bombed the heck out of ‘em in ‘79”

I was 19 years young back then, thought the same at the time, and ever since.

My thoughts: I remember George Kennan (not the biggest war-mongerer out there at the time/s) going on TV and saying that Carter should have gone to Congress for a declaration of war. (he would have had little trouble getting it as American soil had been invaded and hostages taken) The Iranians would have crumbled quickly under that threat and pressure from our allies (which we actually had at the time) would have ended the hostage crisis quickly with an uptick in respect for the US in the Mideast. Instead Carter made us look weak and we have been suffering the consequences in the region ever since.

[jveritas]

I doubt that they will interfere PJ. China never interfered in US affairs in the Middle East except in the impotent UN security council, Russia latest major interference in the Middle East was in the 1973 war (Soviet Union back then) and they ended up on the losing side as usual, the Arab side, they will yell and scream this time and cause trouble in the UN but I do not see them rushing to defend Iran miltarily for a simple reason: They cannot do it.

[jveritas]

I agree that the main and stated goal of the Air war against the terrorist regime in Iran is mainly to destroy their nuclear sites and military infrastructures, however if the Iranian people decide to rise up taking advantage of the weakened regime tools of oppression, we should help the Iranian people in term of air support to destroy what ever left from the mullahs islamic army.

[eleni121]

When it comes to death and destruction Shities and Sunnies will team up every time.

[Political Junkie Too]

But they weren't the oil consumers then that they are now. Will that factor into things?

-PJ

[TalkingPoint]

WOW! Can anyone honestly say beyond a shadow of a doubt that the president isn't the biggest hypocrite on this issue? How many acts of war must be commited? It appears that Iran is acting “at will” knowing no action will be taken. Expect bigger and bolder actions by Iran and Mrs Rice SHAME ON YOU for saying military action is off the table. DO you know how many soldiers may die because of that statment?

[jveritas]

The Chinese know that the flow of oil will remain going to their country from the Middle East and Iran even if the terrorist regime falls. The Russians and Chinese investments in Iran will remain intact even if the mullahs terrorist regime falls, I do not think this will be a problem with the US.