Petraeus Says Iranian-Backed Groups Are Greatest Threat to Iraq

[sabra]

Source: Bloomberg

April 9 (Bloomberg) -- Shiite militia groups backed by Iran are the greatest long-term threat to Iraq's stability, according to Army General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

The so-called ``special groups,'' which are funded, trained and armed by Iran, played a ``destructive role'' in the recent clashes between extremist militias and Iraqi government forces in Basra and Baghdad, Petraeus said.

``Iran has fueled the violence in a particularly damaging way,'' he told the House Armed Services Committee today in Washington, his second day of testimony to lawmakers. ``Unchecked, the `special groups' pose the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq.''

Petraeus, testifying yesterday in the Senate and today in the House, said Iraq is too ``fragile'' to allow U.S. troop levels to fall below about 140,000 earlier than September.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aXD9fCxRQ2.c&refer=home

[Redbear]

1. I thought Iran supported both sides in that conflict

which is why they were able to broker the peace.

[OhioChick]

2. Interesting....

I read this yesterday:

Why is General Petraeus Helping Iran?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x351431

[Tempest]

3. Iran is supporting the al-Maliki government as well

Why didn't Petraeus tell Congress that?

[vinylsolution]

4. Betrayed US.....

This guy is just the latest incarnation of Colin Powell. Covering up all kinds of atrocities, and beating the drum for another new war, at any cost. Another in the long list of Bushevik scumbags who needs to be impeached ASAP.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Absolute make-believe bullsh*t.

[ladjf]

6. Petraeus says what his employers want him to say.

[DavidDvorkin]

7. "General, can you testify while the Vice President drinks a glass of water?"

I wish one of the Dems would ask him that.

[Peace Patriot]

8. U.S.-Bush slaughtered 1.2 million innocent people in Iraq, tortured thousands

and smashed up the country--and is still doing all three. Who is the greatest threat to Iraq?

This bullshit of forgetting what the U.S.-Bush did, and is still doing every day, has got to end. It is a symptom of our sick political establishment and its sick corporate news media that these goddamned lies, mouthed every day by Bush & cabal can be treated as respectable opinion.

[Supersedeas]

9. the pressure really is on the Coward of Crawford now--the Gen has put the ball in your court Mr pRes

[bamacrat]

10. He's trying to build a case for war, trying to build a case for war!!

Shit.

[maddezmom]

11. US Shifts Focus In Iraq from Al QaidaTo Shiite `Special Groups'

US Shifts Focus In Iraq To Shiite `Special Groups'


Email Print Be the first to comment on this article

Friday, Apr 11, 2008

BAGHDAD (AP)--The top U.S. commander has shifted the focus from al-Qaida to Iranian-backed "special groups" as the main threat to a democratic Iraq -a significant change that reflects both the complexity of the war and its changing nature.

The shift was articulated this week in Washington by Gen. David Petraeus, who told Congress that "unchecked, the special groups pose the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq."

Before, U.S. commanders have called al-Qaida the greatest threat.

There is little doubt that Shiite extremists fighting U.S. and Iraqi forces have received Iranian weapons, although Iran's government denies supplying them.

But Petraeus' comments obscure the fact that the U.S. has waded into a monumental power struggle within the majority Shiite community -and crucially, that both sides in that struggle, not just the "special groups," maintain close ties to Iran.

The power struggle is only the latest stage in a decades-long competition between the families of the current top Shiite players: anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, whose political party in Iraq works closely with the U.S. despite its links to Iran.

more:http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidDN20080411005558