WASHINGTON—The top U.S. military officer accused Iran on Thursday of shipping new supplies of deadly weapons to its militia allies in Iraq, in what he described as Tehran's bid to take credit for forcing American troops to go home.
Adm. Michael Mullen, speaking to the Pentagon Press Association, said Iran had curtailed weapons shipments, including powerful rockets and roadside bombs, in 2008 but resumed them recently. Top-level officials in Tehran know about the weapons shipments, he said.
"Iran is very directly supporting extremist Shiite groups which are killing our troops," said Adm. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "There is no question they are shipping high-tech weapons in thereÂ…that are killing our people. And the forensics prove that."
| That won't stop Bambi, Biden and the rest of the Dhimmicrats from wanting a bug-out from Iraq. |
On Thursday, two more U.S. troops were killed by a roadside bomb outside a Baghdad military base. Officials believe an explosively formed projectile, many of which are manufactured in Iran, was responsible. The weapons are designed to penetrate layers of armor.
| In another day and time that would have been an act of war... |
The alleged arms transfers come at a time when the U.S. and Iraq are flirting with the idea of keeping as many as 10,000 American troops in Iraq after the Dec. 31 withdrawal deadline. U.S. officials favor a continued presence, but promise they will withdraw fully unless invited to stay by Baghdad.
Discussions over a longer-term U.S. presence have focused on the numbers of troops that could remain and the military capabilities the Americans could help the Iraqis develop if they did so, Adm. Mullen said.
"There are clear capability gaps the Iraqis security forces are going to face," he said. Iraqis need help with their air force, air defenses and integrating and using intelligence, Adm. Mullen said.
Adm. Mullen said a decision on whether the U.S. stays in Iraq is up to Baghdad's government and President Barack Obama, but he said the U.S. presence in Arab countries has been a "stabilizing" force in an important, volatile region.
Adm. Mullen said he believed Tehran was trying to play an outsized role in Iraqi politics. "There is no question they want influence, particularly in the south," a Shiite-dominated area, he said. |