Iran 'Paid Iraq Insurgents to Kill UK Soldiers'

telegraph.co.uk ^ | 25/05/2008 | Sean Rayment

[kellynla]

Iran has secretly paid Iraqi insurgents hundreds of thousands of American dollars to kill British soldiers, according to a leaked government document obtained by The Telegraph.

The allegations are contained in a confidential "field report" written by a British officer who served in Basra during one of the most dangerous periods of the conflict. The report, which has never been made public, shows the full level of Iran's involvement in the insurgency for the first time.

The document states that the Jaish al-Mahdi (JAM) – also known as the Mahdi Army – one of the most violent insurgent groups operating in Basra, used money from Iran to recruit and pay young unemployed men up to $300 (£150) a month to carry out attacks against the British. The findings have been passed to the highest levels in the military.

The leak comes at a time of rising tension between Iran and the international community, as Tehran continues to stonewall UN inquiries into allegations that it has carried out research to develop a nuclear weapon.

The report, "Life Under Fire in the Old State Building", details the activities of British troops under the command of Major Christopher Job, of the 2nd Lancashire Regiment, between November 2006 and March 2007.

In the report, Major Job discloses that in the course of five months his base was attacked 350 times. Old State Building, which is in the centre of Basra, is the most-attacked British base in recent history.

In an attempt to discover who was behind the attacks, the officer says he established a network of informers, who supplied him with detailed intelligence on the actions of the insurgents and who was behind their funding.

The officer states that the reports of Iran's involvement came from a network of 25 sources, which included a former Iraqi army general, prominent businessmen, local sheikhs and council leaders.

He writes: "We learnt from a number of our Key Leadership Engagements [local contacts] that the source of the problem was the level of unemployment in Basra.

"JAM, using funding from Iran, paid the unemployed youths in the region of $300 per month to attack Multi National Forces. We also learnt that JAM had a drugs culture and that youths literally got hooked on being associated with JAM."

Twenty-seven members of the Armed Forces died and dozens were seriously injured in southern Iraq between November 2006 and May 2007, the period that Major Job covers in his report.

A senior British officer who has recently returned from southern Iraq said that the existence of "Iranian finance teams" in Basra was widely known by the British military and Foreign Office, although always officially denied.

He said: "It suited Iran to arm JAM in order to allow them to have the means to hit us."

Patrick Mercer, the Tory MP and a former infantry commander said: "This report makes it quite clear that Iran is directly involved in funding the insurgency."

He added: "The Government must confront Tehran over the deaths of British troops – anything else is appeasement."

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "There is evidence to suggest a malign influence in Iraq by Iran, including the supply of equipment and armaments which are used by insurgents against UK forces in Iraq.

"This influence is completely unacceptable and serves only to undermine the efforts by the government of Iraq and the coalition."

[kellynla]

A USAF/Israeli weekend airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities won't come soon enough for me.

On this Memorial Day weekend, let us all remember those who paid the ultimate price for freedom.

God Bless them all!

"Never Forget!"

"All paid some. Some paid all."

Semper Fi, Kelly

[pnh102]

Bomb bomb bomb... bomb bomb Iran!

[Oldexpat]

The Brits had the information..the informantes, but did nothing on the offense to stop the attacks. They just hunkered down and hid. Now, it wasn’t their fault. The Pols didn’t want them to let the information out..or go on the attack. So their whole presence in Basra was a farce.
So..go home to your socialist islamic fearing state and be done with Iraq. Let real men from the US and Iraq fight for their freedom.
My son was in Basra with the Brits..so I know all of this from him. Daily mortars and rpg..no response.

[Oldexpat]

The Brits had the information..the informantes, but did nothing on the offense to stop the attacks. They just hunkered down and hid. Now, it wasn’t their fault. The Pols didn’t want them to let the information out..or go on the attack. So their whole presence in Basra was a farce.
So..go home to your socialist islamic fearing state and be done with Iraq. Let real men from the US and Iraq fight for their freedom.
My son was in Basra with the Brits..so I know all of this from him. Daily mortars and rpg..no response.

[nuconvert]

“JAM had a drugs culture and that youths literally got hooked on being associated with JAM.”

That’s the only part of this story that’s ‘news’. And it’s not surprising.

[AmericaUnited]

An act of war.

[12Gauge687]

From what I’ve seen, it’s not the Britain of Winston Churchill or Maggie Thatcher.

[kellynla]

“An act of war.”

Iran has been at war with America and the rest of western civilization for decades...
many just haven’t accepted it...

[Oldeconomybuyer]

"This report makes it quite clear that Iran is directly involved in funding the insurgency."

And Barry wants to sit down and chat with these killers without preconditions.

[Maceman]

“An act of war.” Iran has been at war with America and the rest of western civilization for decades... many just haven’t accepted it...

Iran keeps trying to declare war on us, and we just won't accept it.

It's like that Seinfeld episode where George tries to break up with his girlfriend, and she just refuses to go along.

The only difference is that on Seinfeld it was funny, and no American soldiers lost their lives.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The allegations are contained in a confidential "field report" written by a British officer who served in Basra during one of the most dangerous periods of the conflict. The report, which has never been made public, shows the full level of Iran's involvement in the insurgency for the first time.

The evidence just keeps piling up!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And there is this....referring to Obama's sponsoring group:

*********************************************

It’s difficult to imagine they are so blatantly antiAmerican!

See this :

Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left

And a review:

**********************************

By	Kat Bakhu (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left (Hardcover)

I had long wondered why people on the Left had the propensity to speak more positively about people who would slit their throats than they do about their own country, which affords them more freedom and opportunity than anywhere else. David Horowitz has answered that question thoroughly and convincingly in his Unholy Alliance. Where I felt bewildered and confused, I now feel crystal clear. Unholy Alliance is such a great book.

It begins with the leftist movements at the beginning of the 20th Century, and works its way up to the present day, exploring the anti-American attitude of these movements in detail. Horowitz shows that the enemies of the US back then are largely the same group today, operating under the same misperceptions, making the same mistakes, and pursuing the same impossible utopia.

Individual chapters are included on the Patriot Act (I was persuaded that it is a GOOD thing); the democratic flip-flop on Iraq once G.W. Bush implemented what they agreed with Clinton needed to be done; the driving components of the current anti-war movement; as well as chapters on individual personalities who are major spokespeople of the Left. Horowitz covers a lot of ground, and he covers it concisely and clearly. Unholy Alliance is richly informative without ever being boring or plodding.

This book is so illuminating that I simply cannot do justice to it here. I love people who reason so clearly that they help me get my own reasoning clear. Horowitz is just that type of person! In the terrain of mindless clichés (no-blood-for-oil, etc.), he is a breath of real fresh air.

[kellynla]

“The evidence just keeps piling up!”

And I suspect that before Bush leaves office the USAF will make a weekend airstrike to Iran.

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[navyguy]

Neither the UK nor the US are going to do anything to Iran, directly, to stop any of this. The UK will simply leave Iraq and the US will sit on its hands, as it has done for many years. Al-Sadr will continue to breathe and the Iranians will continue to laugh in our faces.

[kellynla]

Steak dinner says Iran is attacked by USAF and/or the Israelis before GWB leaves office. I like my steak med. rare. BIG SMILE

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[Mercia]

“So..go home to your socialist islamic fearing state and be done with Iraq. Let real men from the US and Iraq fight for their freedom.”

Well it sounds awfully like you’re criticising the courage and fighting spirit of the British fighting soldier. Its worth remembering that 170+ UK personnel have lost their loves in Iraq, with hundreds more injured. We have fielded thousands of personnel in a hostile country for over 5 years. A recent trip made by the UK Minister for Defence, Des Browne, talked of a vastly changed Basrah, with the Iraqi forces getting to grips with the conditions. As this had to happen eventually, I’m happy that its progress being made and a move away from a status quo.
FYI, many of the soldiers you slate in British Forces will have also done tours in Afghanistan, where its probable that ISAF would have failed were it not for the Brits in Helmand. Anyone who knows one iota of info about this campaign will know how tough it has been. 90+ UK death, hundreds wounded, and 1000’s of Taliban taken out.

[Marine_Uncle]

For all we know, the British and US departments of State along with their PM and President may have requested such info to bet keeped on ice, until ready for some future date and purpose.
We don't have the whole picture so I hate to bash to hard on our cousins on the other side of the pond on this particular issue. Something as simple as a plan to allow Hakim's forces to be whined off Iranian assistance and the hopes that Sadr would have followed suit earlier on, could be part of the reason things where allowed to go as they did. And we must remember it has taken Maliki quite a long time to start to act like the PM of Iraq championing Iraqi well being.
Sure we can grip about the way the Brits exercised their power in this area, but then I could turn to the Black Watch when it was moved to al Mahmudiya deep in the heart of the Triangle of Death, and how they did a pretty good over all job. It is a mixed bag. And I am first to say I don't have a good feel of all that was expected of the Brits. Perhaps the need to just keep things as quiet as possible and NOT disturb the flow of oil from the southern fields to the ports for world export is a key factor in why more heavy handed tactics where not used in this province.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The complaint with the British is with the Leftist politicians....not the soldiers....

[PhilDragoo]

[Mercia]

Very astute last comment and generally fair too.