(Downing Street) No 10 backs US claim over Iran arms

[sabra]

http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200nationalnews/tm_headline=no-10-backs-us-claim-over-iran-arms&method=full&objectid=18612209&siteid=50060-name_page.html

No 10 backs US claim over Iran arms

Downing Street has backed American claims that Iran was involved in arming Iraqi insurgents with powerful roadside weaponry used against allied forces.

Prime Minister Tony Blair had first warned in October 2005 of concerns over improvised explosive device technology and weaponry coming from Iran, said the premier's official spokesman.

He added: "Those concerns have not gone away at all.

"We certainly believe that if the Iranian government wanted to, it could address these concerns, but we don't see any sign that it is.

[ShortnFiery]

1. What a surprise.

:eyes:

p.s. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out of office Toe-NEY!

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Ditto.

[Botany]

2. What a shock

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Your poodle is so much more intelligent and cuter than Blair!

[saigon68]

16. POODLE BLAIR

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Give Blair his dog biscuit. He earned it.

[shain from kane]

4. "...powerful roadside weaponry..." (?)

[Javaman]

7. surprise, surprise, surprise...

the poodle wags his morons* tail.

[maddezmom]

8. does intelligence back him up? I think not

But there are also considerable grounds for skepticism about such assertions. Other U.S. and British officials say that intelligence information about Iranian moves in Iran is less clear cut. A U.K. official familiar with the views of M.I.6, Britain's foreign-intelligence service, said the British—whose troops in southern Iraq are as close to front-line encounters with possible Iranian agents as U.S. forces—cannot confirm that Iran has instructed its operatives to attack U.S. troops. "I have not heard that at all," the British official said. A U.S. official familiar with the flow of American intelligence reporting on Iranian activity in Iraq added that he, too, had seen nothing to substantiate the idea that the Iranian government has literally targeted U.S. troops for death. (Like most intelligence sources, they would not speak on the record about sensitive issues.)

~snip~
The NIE is also known to contain three "dissents" in which one or more of the 16 agencies who contributed to the document state their disagreements with the estimate's majority finding. NEWSWEEK has been informed that one dissent relates to Iranian involvement in Iraq and Iranian dealings with Al Qaeda, though further details remain classified.

Another classified dissent relates to disagreements among U.S. agencies over how deeply the government of Syria is involved in protecting, encouraging or supporting Iraqi insurgents. Some analysts believe the Syrian government is actively supporting the insurgency, while others believe Syrian president Bashar Assad is a weak leader who may not have full control over what goes on in his country.

The third classified dissent in the NIE relates to disagreements among U.S. agencies over the role of the remnants of Saddam's Baath Party in driving violence in Iraq. The argument is over whether the Baath Party itself is still capable of directing violence, or if attacks are being carried out by individuals who happen to be Baathist. The fact that U.S. agencies disagree among themselves on these subjects only complicates the dilemma the Bush administration faces in trying to make their case about Iran.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/maddezmom/117

[Gidney N Cloyd]

9. Huh.

[gratuitous]

10. The old dog can still do his trick

Roll over Tony. That's a good boy.

[truebrit71]

11. Now THERE'S a fucking surprise....

:eyes:

....what a joke Blair is...a complete and total tool....

He's become so predictable it's no longer funny...

[redqueen]

12. The UK backing sketchy US claims ...

I think we've seen this show before...

[jobycom]

13. Tony Blair, the new Appeaser. I miss Hugh Grant!

Prime Minister: I love that word "relationship". Covers all manner of sins, doesn't it? I fear that this has become a bad relationship. A relationship based on the President taking exactly what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to, erm... Britain. We may be a small country but we're a great one, too. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham's right foot. David Beckham's left foot, come to that. And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward, I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that.

[confludemocrat]

14. If this "intelligence" is so good, why haven''t they stopped Iran already?

:banghead:

[liberal N proud]

15. Blair is just another one of cheney's dogs

Cheney says bark then bu$h and blair have a contest to see who can bark the loudest

[rodeodance]

17. Blair is a has been-----as is bush.

[quiet.american]

18. Downing Street Minutes, the Sequel. n/t

[Maeve]

19. "Arf!" says Tony! Good doggie....eom

[IndianaGreen]

20. I hear a poodle barking...

BTW, isn't Blair supposed to stepdown pretty soon?

[yasmina27]

21. Deja vu all over again n/t