Well, it must be true… the New York Times sez so.
More than 20 months ago, the United States secretly sent Iran a diplomatic protest charging that Tehran was supplying lethal roadside explosive devices to Shiite extremists in Iraq, according to American officials familiar with the message.
The July 19, 2005, protest — blandly titled “Message from the United States to the Government of Iran” — informed the Iranians that a British soldier had been killed by one of the devices in Maysan Province in eastern Iraq.
The complaint said that the Shiite militants who planted the device had longstanding ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran, and that the Revolutionary Guards and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia had been training Iraqi Shiite insurgents in Iran and supplying them with bomb-making equipment.
“We will continue to judge Iran by its actions in Iraq,” the protest added.
Iran flatly denied the charges in a diplomatic reply it sent the following month, and it continues to deny any role in the supply of the lethal weapons. But the confidential exchange foreshadowed the more public confrontation between the Bush administration and Iran that has been unfolding since December.
I’m not quite sure what to make of this. It seems like one of those convenient leaks from the State Department when they think it would help. But I’m not sure it will help.
I think a well-lobbed, yet “off target” missile from US forces in Iraq delivered to Iran in 2005 would have sent a more potent message: Stop killing US & British Forces, dammit!
Bruce: The govt has known for years that Iran was meddling in Iraq. I listen to Laura Ingraham and Bill Prager almsot every day.. and I cant even remember the number of people who were on the shows causually informing the shows about Iranian influence. There was a policy of underplaying the policy and not making a big public fuss about it because the CIA (of course) and the State Dept (of course) wanted time to find out the extent of the networks.
Tick toc , tick toc
Bruce, I am not sure how to take this latest NYT missive either, considering the fact that they have lied repeatedly before regarding US military and diplomatic matters.
The Grey Old Lady’s nose is growing again.
Regards,
Peter H.