Thursday, February 15, 2007
Bush clarifies Iran weapon statement
Security
(CNN) President Bush said Wednesday that "a part of the Iranian government" is involved in sending deadly explosives into Iraq but acknowledged he didn't know whether top Iranian leaders were responsible. "What we do know is that the Quds Force was instrumental in providing these deadly IEDs to networks inside of Iraq," Bush said at a White House news conference, referring to a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. "We also know that the Quds Force is a part of the Iranian government." Bush insisted there was no contradiction between statements from his administration and the U.S. military.
The possible involvement of the Iranian government in sending weapons to Iraq has been a hot topic since unnamed military officials told journalists Sunday in Baghdad that Iran's Quds Force was providing munitions to Shiite groups in Iraq. The briefers said the Quds Forces answer directly to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that orders for their operations come "from the highest levels of the government."
The officials displayed evidence of the armor-piercing explosives found in Iraq and said they have caused 170 coalition deaths. The weekend briefing generated much controversy, with bloggers, journalists and others questioning whether the military was trying to drum up public sentiment for a confrontation with Iran.
On Tuesday, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not go as far as assertions made during Sunday's briefing in Baghdad. During a trip to Australia, Pace told Voice of America, "It is clear that Iranians are involved and it is clear that materials from Iran are involved, but I would not say, based on what I know, that the Iranian government clearly knows or is complicit."
Also Wednesday, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad would not confirm recent military statements that Iran's leadership is directing the production of an armor-piercing explosive said to be supplied to extremists in Iraq. "I think people want to make an inference," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said at a briefing. "I think people want to hype this up. What we're saying is that in Iran ... munitions are being manufactured that are ending up in Iraq. We are asking the Iranian government for that to stop. It all boils down to that."
The possible involvement of the Iranian government in sending weapons to Iraq has been a hot topic since unnamed military officials told journalists Sunday in Baghdad that Iran's Quds Force was providing munitions to Shiite groups in Iraq. The briefers said the Quds Forces answer directly to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that orders for their operations come "from the highest levels of the government."
The officials displayed evidence of the armor-piercing explosives found in Iraq and said they have caused 170 coalition deaths. The weekend briefing generated much controversy, with bloggers, journalists and others questioning whether the military was trying to drum up public sentiment for a confrontation with Iran.
On Tuesday, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not go as far as assertions made during Sunday's briefing in Baghdad. During a trip to Australia, Pace told Voice of America, "It is clear that Iranians are involved and it is clear that materials from Iran are involved, but I would not say, based on what I know, that the Iranian government clearly knows or is complicit."
Also Wednesday, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad would not confirm recent military statements that Iran's leadership is directing the production of an armor-piercing explosive said to be supplied to extremists in Iraq. "I think people want to make an inference," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said at a briefing. "I think people want to hype this up. What we're saying is that in Iran ... munitions are being manufactured that are ending up in Iraq. We are asking the Iranian government for that to stop. It all boils down to that."
Labels: Bush, Iran, Iraq, Quds Force, security, weapons
