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| Iraq |
| BBC: Iran 'behind Green Zone attack' |
| 2008-03-24 |
| The most senior US general in Iraq has said he has evidence that Iran was behind Sunday's bombardment of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. Gen David Petraeus told the BBC he thought Tehran had trained, equipped and funded insurgents who fired the barrage of mortars and rockets. He said Iran was adding what he described as "lethal accelerants" to a very combustible mix. There has as yet been no response from Iran to the accusations. In response to the news that 4,000 US military personnel have now been killed in Iraq, he said it showed how much the mission had cost but added that Americans were realistic about it. He also said a great deal of progress had been made because of the "flipping" of communities - the decision by Sunni tribes to turn against al-Qaeda militants. The extent of this had surprised even the US military, he said. 'Promises violated' In an interview with BBC world affairs editor John Simpson, Gen Petraeus said violence in Iraq was being perpetuated by Iran's Quds Force, a branch of the Revolutionary Guards. "The rockets that were launched at the Green Zone yesterday, for example... were Iranian-provided, Iranian-made rockets," he said, adding that the groups that fired them were funded and trained by the Quds Force. "All of this in complete violation of promises made by President Ahmadinejad and the other most senior Iranian leaders to their Iraqi counterparts." The barrage hit the Green Zone on Sunday morning. Some rockets missed their targets killing 15 Iraqi civilians. Later in the day four US soldiers died when their patrol vehicle was blown up by a bomb in southern Baghdad, putting the total number of US fatalities above 4,000. This and other bloodshed on Sunday came despite an overall reduction in violence since last June, when the US deployed an extra 30,000 troops for the surge. Days earlier, Mr Bush marked the fifth anniversary of the invasion, saying that it had made the world a better place. |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #8 Sinse, a nice attempt, but Mucky still rulez! |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2008-03-24 21:35 |
| #7 Prrom also wanted too go ahead and destroy te socviets which may hgave not been a bads idiea humna wise. wouyldsn't have ended alot of othere bullshit |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-03-24 20:20 |
| #6 I'd let Cheney get back first. This is just prepping the battle space in the MSM, and the Pentagon/Langley. It will get louder and louder, but I doubt anything will be started by us till after the election. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-03-24 19:59 |
| #5 TW, were paraphrasing... he told that to everybody... a while ago. Besides, he is immortal and it is still the best approach. ;-) |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2008-03-24 19:39 |
| #4 Patton told you this, twobyfour? Should we be concerned? ;-) Yes, there is that. I'm awfully glad I'm not in charge. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-03-24 19:11 |
| #3 I'd query Patton, TW... He says bomb the snot outta them right now, rather than wait for conditions to be *optimal* (they never are). |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2008-03-24 19:03 |
| #2 I'd think the troops would need a bit of rest and relaxation between the surge and destroying key bits of Iran. But perhaps that's the mommy speaking. ;-) What say the experts? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-03-24 16:15 |
| #1 Correct me if I'm wrong, but seems to me Gen Petraeus is very confident he has evidence in hand (and has had) of Iran's attack on the Green Zone. This ain't a court of law. Don't need proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Mr. Bush, please...get off your ass and order Gen Petraeus to hit back. Untie his hands. Give him carte blanche to do whatever he wants to do to send a message of retribution. Launch on these f**ks. |
| Posted by: MarkZ 2008-03-24 15:39 |