Document: Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban

[Army_of_One]

The Blotter

une 06, 2007 6:00 PM

Brian Ross and Christopher Isham Report:

Document_iran_c_mn 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."

[Army_of_One]

SO when do we start putting rockets on their ass?

[wordsmythe]

At least they're doing something to deserve it.

[SGT T.]

Iran is silly to think we wouldn't find out. This really makes me just want to tell you all the crap that I know about the things Iran has been up to around here. You'd be calling your congressman today if you knew what I know.

[TexKan]

Does it bother anyone that the govt of Afghanistan coddles the opium farmers that supplies the money for the purchase of these things? Let put some rockets there first!

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by SGT T.

Iran is silly to think we wouldn't find out. This really makes me just want to tell you all the crap that I know about the things Iran has been up to around here. You'd be calling your congressman today if you knew what I know.

Is it public knowledge or do they tell you to not say anything about it? If so, why not? Are there reporters there? Why don't they report this? Would it be because it might get Americans to back the war effort?

[SGT T.]

It's not public knowledge, and there are reporters here, but we troopies don't care to have them around much. They seem to have a special way of making a warning shot look like an assassination attempt. Because of that stigma, we don't want them around when we go on missions. Here in the most obscure terms possible is what I mean about Iran. Coalition forces get intel that there are bad guys in a house. We go get the IA and let them know where to be at what time, and we pay that house a visit. When we go into the house, with the IA, we find bomb making stuff, anti-american propaganda, EFP's, RPG's, a Dragonov (sniper rifle) and... A FAT STACK OF IRANIAN CASH. (If that sounds weak, its because its the readers digest version.)

Now I know what you anti-war types are thinking... maybe they just came from a vacation there. Maybe they found it on the street. This is not conclusive evidance that Iran is involved in anything. Maybe not, but the EFP's (the good ones anyway) are NOT made in Iraq. They don't even have the technology to make the good ones. But guess who does. And Iranian cash is worthless here. But guess where its good.

Ok, so I just read that all, and I admit, it looks pretty weak. But thats as far as I can go with my justification of how I know Iran is involved. There's alot more to the story, but, well, you know the deal.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by SGT T.

It's not public knowledge, and there are reporters here, but we troopies don't care to have them around much. They seem to have a special way of making a warning shot look like an assassination attempt. Because of that stigma, we don't want them around when we go on missions. Here in the most obscure terms possible is what I mean about Iran. Coalition forces get intel that there are bad guys in a house. We go get the IA and let them know where to be at what time, and we pay that house a visit. When we go into the house, with the IA, we find bomb making stuff, anti-american propaganda, EFP's, RPG's, a Dragonov (sniper rifle) and... A FAT STACK OF IRANIAN CASH. (If that sounds weak, its because its the readers digest version.)

Now I know what you anti-war types are thinking... maybe they just came from a vacation there. Maybe they found it on the street. This is not conclusive evidance that Iran is involved in anything. Maybe not, but the EFP's (the good ones anyway) are NOT made in Iraq. They don't even have the technology to make the good ones. But guess who does. And Iranian cash is worthless here. But guess where its good.

Ok, so I just read that all, and I admit, it looks pretty weak. But thats as far as I can go with my justification of how I know Iran is involved. There's alot more to the story, but, well, you know the deal.

It's not weak at all. What is weak are the people that are denying what's really going on. THAT is what is weak. We are trying to accomplish something in Iraq that is costing AMERICAN lives virtually every day and a lot of tax payer $$ and if Iran is circumventing any success that we may be having they should be held accountable regardless of what it takes. I think it would be safe to say that they are responsible for some of our soldiers dying. Perhaps we SHOULD pull some of our troops out of Iraq and let them put their boot on that little Iranian dictators neck. IF we don't hold people accountable for killing our soldiers then what good are we as a nation? Are we not stronger than that?

[SGT T.]

Originally Posted by TexKan

Does it bother anyone that the govt of Afghanistan coddles the opium farmers that supplies the money for the purchase of these things? Let put some rockets there first!

It does bother me, but having FIRST HAND knowledge of the anti-drug operations going on in that country, let me say that they are not being coddled. Far from it in fact. The problem is that to fight a successful campaign in Afghanistan, you have to win hearts and minds, and you don't do that by destroying every field full of the only thing that really grows there. We have to teach them to grow something else, and then show them that whatever we tach them to grow is worth something too. Mostly we just need to teach them that its wrong. But something about old dogs and new tricks...

[SGT T.]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

It's not weak at all. What is weak are the people that are denying what's really going on. THAT is what is weak. We are trying to accomplish something in Iraq that is costing AMERICAN lives virtually every day and a lot of tax payer $$ and if Iran is circumventing any success that we may be having they should be held accountable regardless of what it takes. I think it would be safe to say that they are responsible for some of our soldiers dying. Perhaps we SHOULD pull some of our troops out of Iraq and let them put their boot on that little Iranian dictators neck. IF we don't hold people accountable for killing our soldiers then what good are we as a nation? Are we not stronger than that?

Man, I would love to get a shot at the Iranians, they are truly deserving, but invading three countries in less than a decade? I don't know. Just seems kinda Imperial if you get my drift. Better call would be to lean on a third nation *Israel* who has something to lose *Israel* if Iran becomes an Atomic nation. And not an invasion, but rather a series of surgical strikes aimed at destabilizing the current government, destroying their EFP creating abilites and stockpiles, and setting back their nuke program. Thats how I would do it at least.