Laying Groundwork On Iran?

Reports indicate that 170 American soldiers have been killed at the hands of Iranian weapons inside Iraq.

A senior defence official from the Multi-National Force told a briefing that 170 coalition personnel had been killed by roadside bombs known as explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) that he said were manufactured in Iran and smuggled into Iraq.

U.S. officials say Iran is fanning violence in Iraq by giving sophisticated bomb-making technology, money and training to Shi'ite groups who are attacking U.S. and British troops. Tehran denies the charge.

In Baghdad, journalists were shown fragments of what the defence official said were Iranian-made weapons, including one part of an EFP and tail fins from 81-mm and 60-mm mortar bombs.

"The weapons had characteristics unique to being manufactured in Iran ... Iran is the only country in the region that produces these weapons," the defence official said.

The New York Times is on the case as well. They note that the DoD delayed release of this information until it was reviewed again to avoid the problems with intel failures in the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Still, one needs to understand that Iran is pursuing an agenda to dominate the region - through its proxy forces in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon as well as through its nuclear program and claims of missile/technology advances that put the entire Middle East in range.

The Times article also notes that there is no evidence as yet that links the recent spate of US choppers downed by enemy fire to Iranian arms.

UPDATE:
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