Sooner or later, we're going to have to confront Iran, a resourceful and implacable enemy of both the U.S. and Israel. Another reason to protect our new beachhead in Iraq, and to encourage the democratic resistance inside Iran.
Iran has dispatched hundreds of agents posing as pilgrims and traders to Iraq to foment unrest in the holy cities of Najaf and Kerbala, and the lawless frontier areas.Posted by Alan at September 28, 2003 05:06 PMTeheran's hardline regime has also allowed extremist fighters from Ansar al-Islam, a terror faction with close links to al-Qa'eda, to cross back into Iraq from its territory to join the anti-American resistance.
The Pentagon believes that Iran is building a bridgehead of activists inside Iraq, ready to destabilise the country if that serves its future interests. So concerned is the coalition about Teheran's activities that it is recruiting former agents from the Iranian section of Saddam Hussein's notorious mukhabarat (intelligence) to help to counter Iran's influence in the predominantly Shia south and east of Iraq.
Iran has also taken advantage of its largely unpoliced border with Iraq - a 210-mile stretch of which was yesterday turned over to an American-trained police force by the US Army - to deploy agents who are building networks of spies.
via The Telegraph (UK)