And So It Begins: AP- "U.S. says it has arrested Iranian officer for providing aid to Iraq"

[kpete]

APNewsAlert
35 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. military says it has arrested an Iranian officer belonging to the elite Quds force suspected of providing aid to militants in Iraq.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ijDA5bgxiHlTvS_r-SSjskS1Tq1w

[shaniqua6392]

1. Here we go folks.

Hopefully this is not the catalyst to go to war with Iran.

[EFerrari]

2. By the same logic, should we arrest Petraeus? n/t

[superkia]

3. Why do we continue to elect politicians that only care about money & power?

I truly don't understand it.

[Bassic]

5. Because they're the only ones we hear about. nt

[havocmom]

4. Did article really say "... aid to IRAN"

or do you need to change your subject line? Curious cuz went to link provided and since it is an RSS feed, I don't see article about what you posted.

Do I need more coffee?

[KittyWampus]

7. U.S. military has reported the capture of a senior officer of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Gu

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military has reported the capture of a senior officer of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps stationed in Baghdad.

U.S. forces, which are taking aim at key Iranian officers based in Iraq, conducted a raid that nabbed the officer of the IRGC's Quds Force and killed three of his aides.

"Coalition troops continue to target terrorists who bring weapons and explosives, especially explosively formed penetrators, and other aid into Iraq," U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said. "Coalition forces will continue their focused operations against unhelpful Iranian influence interfering in Iraq."

Officials said IRGC has become a major U.S. target, particularly in the Baghdad area.

"The captured high-priority individual was responsible for smuggling explosively formed penetrators, Katyusha rockets and other weapons from Iran into Iraq," an official said. "The target was also responsible for distributing those weapons to special groups and extremist militants operating throughout Baghdad. The weapons smuggler had direct ties to senior militant leaders and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force."

A military statement said nine gunmen were killed in a series of raids in Iraq. The statement said the detained IRGC officer facilitated the flow of weapons from Iran to Iraq and their distribution to Shi'ite and other militias.

Officials said five others were arrested during the raid. They said Iranian officers were transferring weapons and finances to a range of militias in an effort to force a U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq.

U.S. military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner said insurgents have received Iranian 240 mm rockets for attacks against the U.S.-led coalition. Bergner said U.S. forces recovered some of the 240 mm rockets in the Ninveh province on Aug. 14.

"The 240 mm rocket is a large-caliber projectile that has been provided to militia extremists groups in the past along with a range of other weapons from Iranian sources," Bergner said.

The Bush administration plans to designate IRGC a terrorist group. The Quds Force was said to be responsible for liasion with and assistance to a range of Middle East insurgency groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hizbullah.

The army also reported the killing of six Al Qaida insurgents and the detention of another 26 fighters in operations east of Balad. U.S. and Iraqi combat units also found a cache of weapons and bombs in an Al Qaida stronghold.

"Terrorists cannot conceal themselves in small villages, disrupting the lives of Iraqi citizens," Garver said. "There was no safe havens for terrorists here, as operations will continue to seek them wherever they hide."

[KittyWampus]

6. Will the US go after Saudi's providing aid to Iraq?

[enid602]

11. $$

Only if they dump the dollar.

[L. Coyote]

8. Here we go again. They did this before. Of course Iranians are aiding Iraqis.

After all, they are friends, neighbors, relatives, business associates, etc. People help people everywhere. What else is news?

[FearofFutility]

13. I thought I heard this before. n/t

[Atman]

9. There was a story posted just yesterday; Petraeus said no Qud were in Iraq

Oops, Bushie must have brought him back to the office for a little sit-down. "Going off script there, little buddy...hehehehe."

.

[uppityperson]

14. now now, no criticizing Petraeus, remember? k&r

[cali]

10. Provocative and stupid.

same old, same old.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Just like it was predicted by the Telegraph last week end....

Pentagon planners have developed a list of up to 2,000 bombing targets in Iran, amid growing fears among serving officers that diplomatic efforts to slow Iran's nuclear weapons programme are doomed to fail.

Pentagon and CIA officers say they believe that the White House has begun a carefully calibrated programme of escalation that could lead to a military showdown with Iran.

Under the theory - which is gaining credence in Washington security circles - US action would provoke a major Iranian response, perhaps in the form of moves to cut off Gulf oil supplies, providing a trigger for air strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities and even its armed forces.

He said: "A strike will probably follow a gradual escalation. Over the next few weeks and months the US will build tensions and evidence around Iranian activities in Iraq."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/16/wiran116.xml


Edited to correct URL, now archived.