Iran regime's meddling in Iraq poses grave threat to coalition forces – UK parliament committee

NCRI
Thursday, 17 August 2006

The British Parliament's Select Committee on Defense published a report saying that the Iranian regime's meddling in Iraq and sending arms and ammunition to that country is a grave threat to the coalition forces.

The report entitled "Iranian influence and border security" says: During our visit to Iraq, we heard that Iranian influence was historically very strong in South Eastern Iraq. One politician we met in Baghdad even remarked that Basra was an Iraqi city with an Iranian administration. UK commanders had no doubt that specialist weaponry and IED technology was being smuggled into the region from Iran...

The report cited the UK Defense Minister as saying: "We do know about the technology; we know where that technology has been developed …It is not something which has grown organically; it has been transferred in and has come from people who have been trained in that technology. So it is quite clear that that is happening…That is part of the global terrorism network."

The report also cited the Secretary of State for Defense telling the House: "We are very aware of the malign influence that interference by those outside Iraq's borders can have on its politics and destiny…That is significantly high in our interest and that of the Iraqi Government, and will figure in the Basra security plan." He continued to say: "Some of them [the weapons] are believed to have their roots in Iran… However, those sophisticated weapons pose a considerable threat to our forces."

The report adds: "Establishing greater border security is a key challenge for the Coalition troops and Iraqi Security Forces.

"We were given differing assessments of the extent of the smuggling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) across the border from Iran but we remain troubled about the implications of any such smuggling for the security of our forces and Iraqi civilians. Given the apparent ease with which IED technology can be smuggled across the border with Iran, we were pleased to hear of plans to support and develop both the Iraqi Navy and the Border Forces to help contain this threat," the UK Parliament's Defense Committee noted.