BBC- Breaking News: US accuses Iran over Iraq bombs - accused the "highest levels" of Iran

BBC ^ | Sunday, 11 February 2007, 14:07 GMT | BBC Staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

US accuses Iran over Iraq bombs

The US military has accused the "highest levels" of Iran's government of supplying increasingly sophisticated roadside bombs to Iraq's insurgents.

Senior defence officials told reporters in Baghdad that the bombs were being used to deadly effect, killing more than 170 US troops since June 2004.

The weapons known as "explosively formed projectiles" (EFPs) are capable of destroying an Abrams tank.

US claims the bombs were smuggled from Iran cannot be independently verified.

The US officials, speaking off camera on condition of anonymity, said that EFPs had also injured more than 620 US personnel since June 2004.

They said US intelligence analysts believed the bombs were manufactured in Iran and secretly sent into Iraq on the orders of senior officials in Tehran.

The US has claimed in the past that Iranian weapons were being used in Iraq, but have never before accused Iranian government officials of being directly involved.

Truck bomb

In the latest violence in Iraq , at least 15 people were killed when a suicide bomber drove a vehicle laden with explosives into a police station near the town of Tikrit.

At least 25 people were injured in the attack on the station in Adwar, about 175km (110 miles) north of Baghdad.

The casualties are reported to include prisoners held in cells at the police station, as well as civilian visitors.

Elsewhere, the US military said it was checking a report that an Apache helicopter had come down near the town of near Taji, about 20km (12 miles) north of Baghdad.

The blast at the police station happened at about 0800 (1100GMT) as police were arriving for work, Capt Abdel-Samad Mohammed was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

The bomber drove a small truck that was packed with explosives covered by hay, and the force of the blast caused the building to collapse, the officer said.

[EGPWS]

Nancy Pelosi is a woman.

Give it some time and extra effort for I am still working on Medusa Rodham Clinton's genetic format.

[EGPWS]

Still wish RR would have told congress to sod off.

Ronald Reagan wasn't a proponent of dictatorships.

[toddly]

I know I know. I just don't like how congress made him look historically when he was forced to withdraw from Beirut.

A lot of people think it was RR who went wobbly on that one. My view was that it wasn't by choice.

[EGPWS]

A lot of people think it was RR who went wobbly on that one. My view was that it wasn't by choice.

It wasn't because of a lack of conveyance by "The Great Communicator" but a lack of self thought by those who lack the ability of self thought.

[CaptSkip]

The FWIW tag was for the possible waste of effort in convincing the world that Iran is in need of attack.

Boomers are nuke subs.

[CaptSkip]

Finally, our will to fight is low. There's scant foreign or domestic support for an attack on Iran.

Our CICs will to fight, IMHO, is based in resolve.

Correct or not, I think President Bush truly believes this war with Iran has to occur. Save Israel, The US, and The World from Islamo-Nazis. Legacy, History, etc.

The Republican party is likely "toast" in '08 anyway...maybe "toast" for many years to come based on the trends in the misguided and simple minded electorate that the Dems and MSM will control.

[NormsRevenge]

sounds like the Springtime weather forecast in Iran will call for firestorms and salvos of tomahawks followed by rolling thunder with occasional outbursts of heavy downpours.

[toddly]

I saw this interview the Sept before the 2004 election. The excerpt below caught my attention. Bushes' eyes narrowed as he said the last two bits. The answers before those two lines looked "practiced". The last two looked like his real thoughts.


O'Reilly: This is really a tough one.

BUSH: OK.

O'Reilly: Iran ...

BUSH: Yeah.

O'Reilly: ... said yesterday "Hey, we're gonna develop this nuclear stuff. We don't care what ya' think" You ready to use military force against Iran, if they continue to defy the world on nuclear?

BUSH: My hope is that we can solve this diplomatically.

O'Reilly: But, if you can't?

BUSH: Well, let me try to solve it diplomatically first, of course. All options are on the table, of course, in any situation, but diplomacy is the first option ...

O'Reilly (interrupting): Would you allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon?

BUSH: We're, we are workin' our hearts out so they don't develop a nuclear weapon - the best way to do so is to continue to keep international pressure on ?em.

O'Reilly: Is it conceivable that you would allow them to develop a nuclear weapon?

BUSH: No. We've made it clear. Our position is that "You won't have a nuclear weapon."

O'Reilly: Period.

BUSH: Yeah.

[EyeGuy]

"The FWIW tag was for the possible waste of effort in convincing the world that Iran is in need of attack." Sorry thought you were being humble. You seem pretty knowledgable. "Boomers are nuke subs." Well I was close wasn't I? Nuclear subs. Wow. It certainly would be interesting to see them in play. Thanks.

[Marine_Uncle]

Perhaps we have reached an empass where the IG now will work hand in hand with the Coalition troops to hunt down these bastards and close all the Iraq/Iranian borders. One cannot allow anything to get over the boarder crossing as well as wide strectches of easy to hike over land between the two countries.
This shows that the Iraqi border patrols simply have not been doing a good job of preventing this stuff to cross in vehicles.
The whole set of problems continue to be the unwillingness of the Iraqi forces to work with the US and Coalition in an honest fashion.
This crap has got to stop.

[happygrl]

All I want for Ramadan is Ahmadinejad's head on a pike.

Your name is being taken in vain here.....

[headsonpikes]

Not at all - that sentiment seemed totally sincere to me!

[happygrl]

BUMP for the sentiment !

[Nancee]

"Bomb the mullahs now!"

I just heard this morning that Chris Dodd is making comments about reviewing information about the "facts" regarding this information; says the Bush administration has manufactured "evidence" before!!

I could just........

:-(