Iran Training Iraqis To Use Explosives

WASHINGTON
(Reuters)
Iran is training anti-American Iraqi Shi’ites at sites inside Iran and Lebanon in the use of armor-piercing munitions blamed for the deaths of 170 U.S. troops in Iraq, the top U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday.
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, newly installed U.S. intelligence chief Mike McConnell said it was “probable” that Iranian leaders including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were aware that weapons known as explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, had been supplied to Iraqi Shi’ites.
But he and other senior intelligence officials told a hearing on threats to the United States that al Qaeda remained the greatest threat facing the United States and had reestablished itself in Pakistan since being driven out of Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.

“We inflicted a major blow. They retreated to another area. And they are going through a process to reestablish and rebuild, adapting to the seams, or the weak spots,” McConnell said in his first congressional testimony as the U.S. director of national intelligence.

In describing Iran’s role in Iraq, he stopped short of he stopped short of saying the Islamic Republic was directing EFP attacks on U.S. forces.

“We know there are Iranian weapons manufactured in Iran.

“We know that Quds Forces (of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards) are bringing them (into Iraq),” McConnell said.
“Is there a direct link from Quds Forces delivering weapons, to the most senior leadership in Iran?” he said. “I would phrase it as ‘probable’ but, again, no direct link … I am comfortable saying it’s probable.”

HEZBOLLAH ROLE
Under questioning by Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent, McConnell tersely acknowledged that the United States has evidence showing that Iran is training Iraqi Shi’ites at sites outside Iraq to use EFPs.

“And some of that training is occurring in Iran?” asked Lieberman.
“Yes, sir,” McConnell replied.
“I’ve heard reports that some may be occurring in Lebanon in Hezbollah training camps,” Lieberman said.
“We believe Hezbollah is involved in the training as well,” McConnell answered.
“If Iran is training Iraqi militants in the use of Iranian weapons which are then being used to kill Americans in Iraq, I think that’s a very serious act and one that we ought to consider taking steps to stop,” Lieberman said.

McConnell’s comments were the latest in a series of assertions by U.S. military and intelligence officials that Iran is behind the appearance of EFPS in Iraq, where the weapons have been able to pierce some of the heaviest U.S. armor.
Officials said Iran’s influence in Iraq has grown steadily since the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and predicted Iraq’s postwar government would have great difficulty overcoming sectarian violence and achieving reconciliation between Shi’ites and Sunnis.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
This war is on so many fronts, and it just makes me angrier that one of those fronts is right here in our own country with the actiions, words and deeds of the left fighting our troops every step of the way. This is good information in this article and it will hit deaf ears when it comes to the likes of Pelosi, Reid, Kennedy and others that do NOT love America and are against our military.
It would be so cool if we could do a fly over and bomb the hell out of those places within Iran that are training people to fight our troops.