U.S. And Iran Fighting Proxy War In Iraq

President Says U.S. Will "Respond Firmly" If Iran Escalates Military Actions In Iraq

(CBS/AP)  Outright war between the United States and Iran remains only a remote possibility, but the two countries already are fighting a proxy war inside Iraq, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

U.S. officials tell CBS News that serial numbers on parts used to make advanced explosive devices powerful enough to breach the armor on an American tank have been traced directly back to Iran. These officials also say rocket-propelled grenade launchers and assault rifles found in Iraq bear Iranian factory markings. Last May, a British helicopter was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile supplied by Iran.

Middle East expert Jon Alterman says Iran's strategy is paying off.

"What they would like is a country that is in some low level of turmoil, where they have lots of influence with all the major political players," Alterman tells Martin. "That's exactly the direction that Iraq is headed."

Raids on Iranian offices in Iraq have turned up computer discs which contain inventories of small arms Iran has provided to Shiite militias and records of payments made to key militia members, adds Martin.

Earlier Monday, President Bush said that "we will respond firmly" if Tehran escalates its military actions in Iraq and threatens American forces or Iraqi citizens.

Mr. Bush's warning was the latest move in a bitter and increasingly public standoff between the United States and Iran. The White House expressed skepticism about Iran's plans to greatly expand its economic and military ties with Iraq. The United States has accused Iran of supporting terrorism in Iraq and supplying weapons to kill American forces.

"If Iran escalates its military actions in Iraq to the detriment of our troops and — or innocent Iraqi people, we will respond firmly," Mr. Bush said in an interview with National Public Radio.

The president's comments reinforced earlier statements from the White House.

"If Iran wants to quit playing a destructive role in the affairs of Iraq and wants to play a constructive role, we would certainly welcome that," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. But, he said, "We've seen little evidence to date (of constructive activities) and frankly all we have seen is evidence to the contrary."

Sharply at odds over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program, Washington and Tehran are arguing increasingly about Iraq. American troops in Iraq have been authorized to kill or capture Iranian agents deemed to be a threat. "If you're in Iraq and trying to kill our troops, then you should consider yourself a target," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week.

Iran's plans in Iraq were outlined by Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qumi in an interview with The New York Times. He said Iran was prepared to offer Iraqi government forces training, equipment and advisers for what he called "the security fight," the newspaper reported. He said that in the economic area, Iran was ready to assume major responsibility for the reconstruction of Iraq.

"We have experience of reconstruction after war," the ambassador said, referring to the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. "We are ready to transfer this experience in terms of reconstruction to the Iraqis."

Johndroe said the Bush administration was looking at what the ambassador had to say.

The White House says there has been growing evidence over the last several months that Iran is supporting terrorists inside Iraq and is a major supplier of bombs and other weapons used to target U.S. forces. In recent weeks, U.S. forces have detained a number of Iranian agents in Iraq.

"It makes sense that if somebody is trying to harm our troops or stop us from achieving our goal, or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them," Mr. Bush said on Friday.

[olebd]

Yikes....I believe I remember these exact words to Saddam before he sent our guys into Iraq.

Other supposed "allies" or those in agreement that Iran is a menace are remaining silent so they won't get their hands bloody if they should happen to send their own troops to the Middle East to help us and find out that the reason for attacking Iran is a lie also.

Two years may be too long to wait in order to stop our war hungry leadership.

[crater7]

BUSH, ALREADY HAS ENOUGH FIRE POWER SITTING IN THE GULF TO CARRY OUT A MAJOR ATTACK ON IRAN, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT IRAN DOES, HE IS PLANNING AN ATTACK ANYWAY. GET READY FOR MORE OF HIS SHOCK AND AWE. THE DRAFT, TO SEND MORE OF OUR KIDS TO WAR WILL BE COMMING SOON.

[elliottcpsr]

Down in the polls and looking for a bounce.

GW knows how to manipulate the American public.

Nothing like a good war to bring you up in the polls. Just in time for the next election.

I only wonder if the American public will fall for it again.

[changeit4]

Congress has a singular obligation to get ahold of this jackass by the sack... I mean purse and prevent this escalation. He has meddled and destabilized enough of the region to jeopardize the world for years to come.

After he's reined in, then impeach him. Enough!

[karlimhof]

i don't know what to say...like many others....is this man sane?

The idiot bush should have been impeached long ago.....

[notblue]

What would all the expert Bush bashers say if America withdraws from the world and does nothing which could allow Iran to develope nukes and then sell them to any one of a dozen Islamic radical groups who could then detonate a bomb on U.S. soil killing thousands of Americans. I'll tell you what would be said, couldn't we have prevented Iran from obtaining nukes?, More Bush incompetence!, what was wrong with our intelligence? The littany of critisism would be as elementary is it is now. What possible rational can you people use to justify just withdrawing, hiding, and hoping for the best. The radicals that want ot destroy America and the American way of life are counting on the do nothing liberals to succeed.

[tibu987]

Iran has not threatened the U.S. but Israel.
Let Israel handle the situation as it sees fit.
The U.S. must stop meddling in the affairs of foreign countries unless those countries present an actual threat to us.
The U.S. cannot solve all the world's problems militarily.
How many more young Americans must die and how many more billions of dollars must the U.S. spend
before it realizes there are other avenues besides killing.

[parrotknows]

The only way to stop these monsters from bringing on Armageddon is for YOU to finally learn the bitter truth about the events of 9-11. The 9-11 Truth movement uses science and facts as the basis of its case that 9-11 was an inside job.
* Twin Towers fell at freefall speed. Impossible without explosives in a controlled demolition.
* President was not whisked out of the Florida classroom, violating Secret Service standard operating procedures. They knew he was not a target.
* Air Force paralysis on 9-11 due to war game complications simulating hijack events.
If you don't thoroughly understand why these are smoking guns, do your patriotic duty NOW and read The New Pearl Harbor, by David Griffin, visit www.st911.org, or read Towers of Deception by Barrie Zwicker.
9-11 Truth is the mother of all issues and the easiest to prove. Neither Congress or the media will expose this, so We The People must do it. 9-11 Truth is the 1 thing that Americans will not tolerate. Open your mind and learn the facts.

[notblue]

Iran has threatened the U.S. as well as Israel. The pointis if Iran developes nukes they themselves don't have to use them they can sell them to the radicals. I suppose the next excuse would be that Iran doesn't have contact or do business with radicals, ha! ha! ha!

[generey]

ROFLMMFAO!!!

Americans - Asleep at the wheel.

[inventagod]

Bu$h - "Why, I oughtta - POW!, Right in da kissah!"

[duffyn]

People are going to have to come up with a new name for us who oppose bush's stupid wars. There's a lot more then just liberals who don't like his methods and they are called conservatives!!!! And, stopping Iran would've been a whole lot easier if mr bush had not started his stupid war with Iraq.

[johnshaft4]

BULLETIN...White House announces that it has fool proof intel that evil doer state sponsored Iranian terrorists were responsible for the assassination of American hero Barbaro. Cheney says he has documents from Niger proving that it was Iranian radioactive Plutionium 210 used in the murder of the ex KGB spy, but was used to kill Barbaro as well. US war planes are attacking Iranian nuclear facilities to prevent further use of WMDs by the Iranians...

[shedhouserob-2009]

Cheney/Corporate milatary war. Money the object. Use up the weaponry on a nation that 1/2 the population was 15 years old or under. Now when they got a real threat they can't respond like they should. this Chaney will go down as the the worst politician that has ever come up thru the ranks of a republican. All republicans should avoid being associated with this corporate worm. If Lincoln, Teddy or Ike and Jerry Ford could have had anything to say about this scowling evil man representing the republican party I would think they would have hung him up like upside down like they did Mussolini, Don't blame George, he takes all his orders from this worm.

[migrainegram]

NPR.org
All Things Considered 1/29/2007

President Bush on the Record
Two part interview

Go take a listen to King George

[fascistusa]

Is that a False Flag I see in the distance?

Propoganda in the "News" to give the American People a Reason to support a War in Iran?

Is that FASCISM I smell??

[annd2302]

inventagod
With all due respect, you should be somewhat more selective of your remarks.

[gdmoore2]

A dangerous situation. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, not all that popular in Iran, is trying to frighten the Iranian middle class into believing the USA is going to strike anytime, and U.S. President Bush, not all that popular in his own right, is trying to frighten the American middle class into believing that Iran will go nuclear and strike anytime. If the American middle class were able to speak directly to the Iranian middle class, without these two political extremists in-between, we might be able to get these two lunatics to stand down. Both of them have ulterior political motives, and neither one of them is trustworthy. Dangerous.

[xfredmenzies]

Oh come on CBS News, stop playing the little drummer boy. If there is growing evidence of Iran being involved, then someone should be able to SHOW US THE EVIDENCE. But so far no one has, they just repeat Bush's *** that Iran had better stop it.

SHOW US THE EVIDENCE

[bluestardad]

Even handed Reporting; When will the American Media and Government hold equally accountable the other people feeding insurgents in the Iraq war? The Saudi Arabian Government is providing financial, military and personnel aid to the Sunni insurgents also. We never hear President Bush or the media demanding they Saudi back off its support to the Sunni insurgents as he does his rhetoric against the Iranians. 15 of the 19 hijackers that hit us on September 11, 2001 were from Saudi and so was Bin Laden! These people are friends of the Bush family! But they are still killing American Soldiers.

[book54552134]

Dubya & his Administration is looking for any possible reason to begin it's war campaign against Iran & thus widen the war over there.
What can that accomplish for this Administration?
1. It will take the focus of the American public off of Iraq as the US begins a new war.
2. It will nearly double the oil reserves that will be under US control over there. (Iran has almost as much oil as Iraq.)
3. It will muddy the political waters & confuse large portions of the American electorate as to the overall purpose of the now widened war & perhaps buy Dubya the 2 years he needs to 'stay the course' over there.
4. It will make any decision by any future President to reverse Bush Administration policies & withdraw forces from the region all that much harder to accomplish. After all, as events unfold in a widened war over there, American politics & policies can shift, possibly to favor Dubya's origional decision to invade & occupy Iraq in the first place which may help to shed a favorable light on Dubya's legacy. This would be very important when Jeb decides to make his bid for control of the White House.

[skyk-2009]

This is really good. The Incompetent little Southern Fascist who couldn't win a game of spin the bottle is in way over his head and NOW he wants to add to the mess. Sure Iran may well be arming some of the militants! Now for all you fascist who still support this pathetic excuse for a leader please go look up the video of WHAT we were told BEFORE... when the REASON for invading Iraq was changed from WMD's and 9/11 to "Giving" them demoracy. They were going to embrace us, thank us for taking out Saddam. Now we are being told that those we made "FREE" are getting weapons from Iran to BLOW us up? LOL Like Senator Hagel say's, The worst policy blunder in US History. When this pathetic LOSER some still call a President diverted from the mission, when he BULLIED and embarrassed EVERY friend we had in the world, when he allowed his pal's, Falwell and Robertson, to USE 9/11 for their OWN Political Goals.... HE LOST. He's a Southern Fascist folks... he does not understand any more today than he did when he was hiding under that Bar from Vietnam, what makes this nation GREAT. It's all about UNITY! A leader who can not UNITE this nation, a Fascist who win's by hate and division? He lost before Iran ever became involved.... He lost the first time he spouted the phrase, "You're either with us or against us". That was Stupid and PURE FASCISM!! SEIG HEIL!!

[bluestardad]

Even handed Reporting; When will the American Media and Government hold equally accountable the other people feeding insurgents in the Iraq war? The Saudi Arabian Government is providing financial, military and personnel aid to the Sunni insurgents also. We never hear President Bush or the media demanding they Saudi back off its support to the Sunni insurgents as he does his rhetoric against the Iranians. 15 of the 19 hijackers that hit us on September 11, 2001 were from Saudi and so was Bin Laden! These people are friends of the Bush family! But they are still killing American Soldiers. The American people have spoken on November 7, 2006 and demand that our elected officials pull our troops out of Iraq and start negotiations with all countries in the region on an equal basis. This Rovian Sound Bite that disagreement with the Presidents policies in the Middle East provides aid and comfort to the enemy is preposterous and rejected by the American people. First off the President and his Rovian Neocons Chicken Hawks who got us into this war don%u2019t know who the enemy is. Nor can they define the enemy we are fighting now! Is the enemy the Saudi back Sunnis or the Iranian backed Shiites that have been our friends for 20 years, could it possibly be the hold outs from the old Saddam regime or maybe just anyone who disagrees with President Bush?

[lieberman18]

nuke iran and let's finish the mess Jimmy Carter created for us.

Then let's consider putting the peanut bigot on trial.

[skyk-2009]

Now I have been in the shoes of our Kids out there, I have been in the middle of a CIVIL WAR where one side is arming and aiding ONE side and another party is arming and aiding the OTHER! I've seen what results and I'm here to tell you folks and you need to only look as far as OUR OWN Taliban to understand this, WE need new leadership and NEW direction. Our Kids CAN NOT tell the enemy from the good guy.... Not possible and that is going to get a lot of our kids killed. Sure Bush and the Nazi's have gotten us into a real mess and that's for a fact, but we can NOT turn to those who GOT us into this mess to get us out. Especially when all they seem to be doing is sucking us deeper into a Religious War. Bush is the lap dog of our Religious Reich and Bush and they are responsible for this mess. We have NO friends peole and we have NO Industrial Base anymore. In other words this nation is streached to the limit both in the Military and in the Bank Account. The AMERICAN PEOPLE have said loud and clear that THIS is not a war they wish to fight. If the people of Iraq can not and will not put Freedom ahead of Religion then we are just as likely to FREE them as we are to FREE the followers of Falwell and Robertson. You see THEY are willing to Trade the security of THIS nation for a Stake in the MIDDLE EAST!! Are YOU???

[gdmoore2]

badax - Ahmadinejad's behavior is not defensible. But neither is Bush's behavior defensible. Coalition forces are already on Iran's eastern and western borders, with hostilities active on both frontiers. Blustering and threatening in public is an unnecessary escalation of tensions, at a time when the U.S. has some internal leverage in Iran. In my opinion, Bush is playing 'tough guy' to a domestic political audience. The Desert Storm team would have handled Iran quietly and effectively without creating an even more dangerous situation.

[t_barr]

On another note, maybe we should stop looking in caves, over sand dunes, and under rocks for the people who are actually responsible for planning the demise of our Freedoms.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2007/290107rockefellergoal.htm

OK, so tell me why Aaron Russo would bother to make-up a such a story. What would he hope to gain? Realize that Aaron is dying of Cancer and probably not going to be around much longer.

[j-whitman]

Lieberman,,,, Our oil companies where in Iran before WW 1 & started much of the problems there, prior to that it was over 100 years of back & forth colonization...
-- Reagan put Saddam in Iraq & armed him,, GET IT STRAIGHT

[bluestardad]

The President and his Rovian Neocons Chicken Hawks who got us into this war don%u2019t know who the enemy is. Nor can they define the enemy we are fighting now! Is the enemy the Saudi back Sunnis or the Iranian backed Shiites that have been our friends for 20 years, could it possibly be the hold outs from the old Saddam regime or maybe just anyone who disagrees with President Bush?

[lieberman18]

skyk,

run and take your meds.

i suppose now you're going to stick up for iran. nice, because that's the regime your hero jimmy carter, bigot and by the way, arms merchant to the saudis, help create.

he could have stop it and the mess we now face by one simple ultimatium to Iran on November 5, 1979. but as usual America did not have a President - it had a Democratic Coward and Bigot.

[miltpan72]

By May (2006) the US DoD reported that two Iraqi Army divisions, 16 brigades and 63 army and INP battalions had assumed 'lead' responsibility for security in their respective 'battlespace', representing 77,700 km2 of territory. Iraqi forces had also taken over 34 forward operating bases from coalition troops

Taken from Janes - funny how the US media doesn't publish this information!
Posted by badaxmofo at 07:21 PM : Jan 29, 2007

AFUKKING MEN
You don't hear about that...especially on this site. Yesterday, IRAQI's carried out a battle with our assistance (mostly being air cover) and 200 some odd insurgents were killed. Today the top story this morning was that a rotten horse died. That is the sad state of our media. However, if more than 5 marines were killed, Guess what would have gotten the top story.

[skyk-2009]

liebern18, you are without a doubt the most IGNORANT Fascist I have ever met and Sparky I have met some REAL Hood and Sheet Fascist! Jimmy Carter DID NOT start a war when OTHER ways of dealing with a situation was available. In OTHER words HE got us out WITHOUT having to see our kids die or WORSE.... As a Combat Veteran who has heard the screams of a fellow American fall at his side, you are truly a sickening Person. This nation CAN NOT be United with your kind in charge that's for certain.

[miltpan72]

Things are starting to turn in our favor now with more and more IRAQI's enlisting. We will continue to see more stories like this and it can only help that we have drawn a line in the sand with IRAN. Liberals who for reasons I do not know, paint this country in a horrible light on the WORLD stage, want to remove our troops and turn a blind eye when the going gets tough. They offer no hard ideas or no plan. They just cry about what is wrong and that Bush is the sole person responsible for everything that is bad.

[wayfedup]

Then let's consider putting the peanut bigot on trial.
Posted by lieberman18 at 07:29 PM : Jan 29, 2007
loserman/limbaughman; Whoever the H*ell you are, You're Childish, slander-were it not always so venomous, might sometimes be amusing. However, since you can NEVER pass up an opportunity to inject a LIBERAL? dose of HATRED into them, it would seem to me that they are nothing but PATHETIC.

[j-whitman]

Miltpan,,, Thanks for the Jane's source, but, what happened between then & Novermber ??? Soldiers taking off thier uniforms refusing to fight in areas away from their homes,, Iraq's shooting our troops & letting insurgents through guard posts.
- Your doing what Bush does,, only giving people part of what they need to know... The Rosey part only.

[miltpan72]

"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."
President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998.

Wow. I thought that Bush lied

[j-whitman]

Miltpan,, Today here in California Dems are accused of giving out no bid contracts -- I say hang them along with Bush's profiteers.

[miltpan72]

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.

Don't tell me that Al said it too!

[gdmoore2]

badax - Yes, covert ops, but also accompanied by substantial backchannel communications, some military movement of the kind that signals, and just enough public statement to make the point, without escalation. There is a firm way of getting these things done without increasing the danger of the situation.

[j-whitman]

Miltpan,,,, In 1998 Iraq no longer had the capability of developing those programs.

[miltpan72]

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998.

Nancy too! Oh god...please tell me that our fearless liberal leaders didn't say this. That would mean that.......THEY lied.
Cause I've been going around saying that Bush lied for the last 4 years and now to come and find out that the people that were going to tax me more and make everything all right said the same thing.

Truth hurts huh you crybabies

[miltpan72]

We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them."
Sen. Carl Levin (d, MI), Sept. 19, 2002.

That was dated 2002 Jaytwit. You said that they didn't have the capabilities then....guess Carl lied too right?

[j-whitman]

Miltpan --- Bush couldn't find the WMD's he took us to war over.. They no longer existed

[miltpan72]

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction. "[W]ithout question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. And now he has continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real ...
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003.

[miltpan72]

That one was 2003 ....straight from John Kerry's mouth. I am shocked that they all lied too. I mean these are the same people who are saying that he had no WMD's....we'll forget the fact that the WMD's were moved to Saudi Arabia and Syria while we were dikking around with weapons inspectors

[wayfedup]

miltpan... SAUDIS attacked us, NOT IRAQ. Plain and simple. No WMD's found in IRAQ, No evidence to support the claim that they were involved.

[j-whitman]

Miltpan,,,, Obviously Levin & others where wrong in believing Bush's intellegence, huh ?? They openly admit it... It's called bi-partisianship...
- Trusting our President turned out to be a mistake that cost us thousands of American lives & "Grave" Damage To Our National Security & military.

[wayfedup]

although, I'm QUITE CERTAIN THEY CHEERED FROM THE SIDELINES....

[j-whitman]

Miltpan,,,, They trusted thier President