U.S. military not confirming claims that Iran's gov't was involved in production of powerful explosi

[maddezmom]

U.S. military not confirming claims that Iran's government was involved in production of powerful explosive found in Iraq
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. military official pressed by reporters wouldn't confirm Wednesday recent American military statements that Iran's leadership is directing the production of an armor-piercing explosive said to be supplied to extremists in Iraq.

This comes a day after the top U.S. military official cast doubt that the Iranian government itself was involved in the production and smuggling of explosively formed penetrators, known as EFPs.

"I think people want to make an inference. I think people want to hype this up. What we're saying is that in Iran these EFPs are being manufactured. Within Iran munitions are being manufactured that are ending up in Iraq. We are asking the Iranian government for that to stop. It all boils down to that," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday.

Wednesday's briefing comes a few days after unnamed military officials told journalists about EFPs and said that the munitions were being provided to Shiite groups in Iraq by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds force, which answers directly to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

more: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/02/14/wednesday/index.html

AFP: US military confirms Iran weapons allegations
~snip~
Caldwell said the initial briefing had been intended to publicly pressure -- "since we've been unsuccessful through other political means thus far" -- the Iranian government to cut off the supply of weapons.

"We're asking the Iranian government to assist in stopping that occurring. The reason why we have gone public is because it is a force protection issue... because of the devastating effect the EFP produces," he said.

Caldwell said the numbers of EFPs turning up on the Iraqi battlefield had increased by 150 percent between January and December 2006 and the weapon has been blamed for killing 170 US and allied soldiers and wounding 650.

The general backtracked, however, from a claim made at the anonymous briefing that weapons smuggling was initiated at "the highest level" of the Iranian government, branding that allegation as analysts' "inference."

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070214/pl_afp/iraqunrestiranus_070214144721

[Nickster]

1. But, But, Tony Snow told me that he was confirming that and that the military and him were on the

same page. Did he lie to me?

[maddezmom]

4. he supposedly called Pace and asked him and they were on the same page

now I guess he needs to call Caldwell.

[saigon68]

11. He is a liar

[rodeodance]

2. umm.. this is getting juicy.

[rodeodance]

3. AP: U.S. military insists cleric left Iraq

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_al_sadr;_ylt=Ak89hSiE9EcDuiVT9YrYrkqs0NUE

U.S. military insists cleric left Iraq

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 14 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The chief U.S. military spokesman in
Iraq said Wednesday that Muqtada al-Sadr has left the country and is believed to be in
Iran, despite denials from the radical Shiite cleric's supporters. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell declined to comment on the reasons al-Sadr had left the country or give more details.
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"We will acknowledge that he is not in the country and all indications are in fact that he is in Iran," Caldwell told reporters in Baghdad.

Lawmakers and officials linked to al-Sadr have denied that he had left the country, with one saying the cleric had met with government officials late Tuesday in the Shiite holy city of Najaf.

An Iraqi government official said al-Sadr was in Najaf as recently as Tuesday night, when he received delegates from several government departments. The official, who is familiar with one of those meetings, spoke on condition of anonymity because he has no authority to disclose information on his department's activities.

Lawmaker Nassar al-Rubaie, the head of Sadrist bloc in parliament, also insisted al-Sadr had not left the country.

[Dover]

5. An Iranian ambassador to the U.N. told Charlie Rose last night that those munitions were

NOT from Iran and that if you look closely at the ones that Bushco is claiming to have found as proof you will see that the dates stamped on them are written day/month/year which is NOT the order of dating that Iran and much of the world uses. He said that alone should tell knowledgable people that those munitions are a fabrication. And a poor one at that.

Guest: JAVAD ZARIF - Iran's Ambassador to the U.N. (Feb. 13, 2007)

Here's Charlie Rose's Show link:
http://www.charlierose.com/

Granted, Iran might have created that date anomoly just in case the munitions were recovered. But Bushco has set the precedent for deceit and evidence tampering, so even if Iran were to have done that, Bush made himself and this country vulnerable and even LESS deserving of trust than the Iranians he has demonized.

[Contrite]

9. Plus, weren't the labels in English?

What did they say, "Made in Tehran"?

[Doondoo]

6. K&R

[Fire Walk With Me]

7. "WMD! WMD! WMD!" = Iraqi invasion. "Iran! Iran! Iran!" = ....

"We have heard this song before, didn't we, didn't we, repeat repeat..." -Peter Baumann

[IndianaGreen]

8. We also have the Israel Lobby yelling about Iran being a threat to Israel

just as they screamed and wailed about Iraq being a threat to Israel. Of course, you don't see these bozos asking that the IDF goes to war, preferring that American blood be spilled to keep the Israeli rightwing happy.

[Hawkowl]

10. Military learned their lesson?

Maybe the generals have learned their lesson and are going to speak up when the commander and chief is lying his ass off so he can illegally start wars.