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USMC hires consultant to probe tensions among Iranâs minorities
By Guy Dinmore in Washington Published: February 23 2006 19:07 | Last updated: February 23 2006 19:07 The intelligence wing of the US marines has launched a probe into Iranâs ethnic minorities at a time of heightened tensions along the border with Iraq and friction between capitals. Iranian activists involved in a classified research project for the marines told the FT the Pentagon was examining the depth and nature of grievances against the Islamic government, and appeared to be studying whether Iran would be prone to a violent fragmentation along the same kind of fault lines that are splitting Iraq. The research effort comes at a critical moment between Iran and the US. Last week the Bush administration asked Congress for $75m to promote democratic change within Iran, having already mustered diplomatic support at the UN to counter Iranâs alleged nuclear weapons programme. At the same time, Iran has demanded that the UK withdraw its troops from the southern Iraqi city of Basra which lies close to its border. Iran has repeatedly accused both the US and UK of inciting explosions and sabotage in oil-rich frontier regions where Arab and Kurdish minorities predominate. The US and UK accuse Iran of meddling in Iraq and supplying weapons to insurgents. US intelligence experts suggested the marinesâ effort could indicate early stages of contingency plans for a ground assault on Iran. Or it could be an attempt to evaluate the implications of the unrest in Iranian border regions for marines stationed in Iraq, as well as Iranian infiltration. Other experts affiliated to the Pentagon suggest the investigation merely underlines that diverse intelligence wings of the US military were seeking to justify their existence at a time of plentiful funding. Lieutenant-Colonel Rick Long, a marines spokesman, confirmed that the marines had commissioned Hicks and Associates, a defence contractor, to conduct two research projects into Iraqi and Iranian ethnic groups. The purpose was âso that we and our troops would have a better understanding of and respect for the various aspects of culture in those countriesâ, he said. He would not provide details, saying the projects were for official use only. Marine Corps Intelligence defines its role as focusing âon crises and predeployment support to expeditionary warfareâ. It also provides threat and technical intelligence assessments for the Marines. Marines swimming in funds for outside consultants or is this indicator 11? Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-02-24 |
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