The Bagdad briefing: the charges, the evidence and the witnesses

[struggle4progress]

Here's Sunday's Baghdad story

Upon reflection, I'm guessing the dossier reads something like this:

As a result of the Iran-Iraq war, which left considerable quantities of landmines and unexploded ordnance scattered across the northern part of the country, many Iraqis lacked enthusiasm for explosives, even before the Shock and Awe campaign began in 2003. Although the United States quickly and easily solved the problem of the Baathist munitions dumps, by allowing looters to raid the stockpiles, explosives have nevertheless remained too easily available. Despite several Administration initiatives -- handing out thousands of weapons, for example, or reallocating money to security contractors from electric, water, and sewer reconstruction projects -- the security situation continues to deteriorate.

So only outside interference can explain Iraq's continuing difficulties, and the evidence of Iranian involvement is quite damning: in a raid on an Iranian consular office in Iraq last month, for example, the US managed to seize not only two Iranian identification cards but also indications that haircuts had been given there. Even setting aside the matter of a consular office handling ID, one must ask: if a million Iraqis can walk to Syria, why couldn't the consular staff just stroll down the street to the barbershop? Doubters need not take such facts on faith: three courageous military officials have stepped forward to testify to these facts. Just as secret evidence makes charges irrefutable, that the witnesses do not want their names used, nor their pictures taken, certainly adds credibility to their claims.

It follows logically that Iranian officials, at the highest level, are providing training to groups politically allied with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki.

[Skink]

1. I call this the Rumsfeld handshake.