US report on Iranian weapons in Iraq 'delayed significantly', No surprise Options

[guest of a friend]

There was something interesting missing from Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner's introductory remarks to journalists at his regular news briefing in Baghdad on Wednesday: the word "Iran," or any form of it. It was especially striking as Bergner, the U.S. military spokesman here, announced the extraordinary list of weapons and munitions that have been uncovered in recent weeks since fighting erupted between Iraqi and U.S. security forces and Shiite militiamen.

Among other things, Bergner cited 20,000 "items of ammunition, explosives and weapons" reported by Iraqi forces in the central city of Karbala; an additional Karbala cache containing 570 explosive devices, nine mortars, four anti-aircraft missiles, and 45 RPGs; and in the southern city of Basra alone, 39 mortar tubes, 1,800 mortars and artillery rounds, 600 rockets, and 387 roadside bombs.

Not once did Bergner point the finger at Iran for any of these weapons and munitions, which is a striking change from just a couple of weeks ago when U.S. military officials here and at the Pentagon were saying that caches found in Basra in particular had revealed Iranian-made arms manufactured as recently as this year. They say the majority of rockets being fired at U.S. bases, including Baghdad's Green Zone, are launched by militiamen receiving training, arms and other aid from Iran.

Today brought fresh attacks, including an unusual barrage fired at a military base used by British and U.S. forces in Basra, in southern Iraq. A statement said "several" rockets hit the base during the afternoon, and that initial reports indicated two civilian contractors were killed, and four soldiers and four civilians injured.

It was the first reported attack of its kind since March 27 in Basra.

Iraqi officials also have accused Iran of meddling in violence and had echoed the U.S. accusations of new Iranian-made arms being found in Basra. But neither the United States nor Iraq has displayed any of the alleged arms to the public or press, and lately it is looking less likely they will. U.S. military officials said it was up to the Iraqis to show the items; Iraqi officials lately have backed off the accusations against Iran.

A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran. A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding that emerged after an Iraqi Army general in Karbala erroneously reported the items were of Iranian origin.

When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.

Iran, meanwhile, continues to seethe after an Iraqi delegation went to Tehran last week to confront it with the accusations. It has denied the accusations, and it says as long as U.S. forces continue to take part in military action in Iraq's Shiite strongholds, it won't consider holding further talks with Washington on how to stabilize Iraq.

—Tina Susman in Baghdad

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbey...the-elusiv.html

[woof.]

mhaverty is down with bombing the fuck out of the iranians, says their supplying weapons to iraq is tantamout to an act of war!

Go figure. I don't know who to believe anymore.

[guest of a friend]

mhaverty is down with bombing the fuck out of the iranians, says their supplying weapons to iraq is tantamout to an act of war!

Go figure. I don't know who to believe anymore.

Believe who you want, but if the US bombs Iran the Iraqi government, which is majority Iranian stooge, will turn on the US or worse.

add to that the fact that no one other than the US and Israel think Iran is less than 8-10 years from making a nuke, enough time for a little more diplomacy surely

and finally to the "fact" that we'll botch it if we try it anyway

and if you're cool with that then bombs away I guess.

[woof.]

Believe who you want, but if the US bombs Iran the Iraqi government, which is majority Iranian stooge, will turn on the US or worse.

add to that the fact that no one other than the US and Israel think Iran is less than 8-10 years from making a nuke, enough time for a little more diplomacy surely

and finally to the "fact" that we'll botch it if we try it anyway

and if you're cool with that then bombs away I guess.

mhaverty isn't exactly a reliable source of information. I think I'll stick with forming my own opinions, and in my opinion, bombing Iran seems like a stupid thing to do, which seems to be a clear indicator that it is exactly the type of thing the current administration would attempt.

[guest of a friend]

mhaverty isn't exactly a reliable source of information. I think I'll stick with forming my own opinions, and in my opinion, bombing Iran seems like a stupid thing to do, which seems to be a clear indicator that it is exactly the type of thing the current administration would attempt.

exactly.

[mhaverty]

mhaverty is down with bombing the fuck out of the iranians, says their supplying weapons to iraq is tantamout to an act of war!

Go figure. I don't know who to believe anymore.

I said they will use proof of Iranian activities as a rationale to bomb and go to war. Why? Because it is a viable rationale genius. Looks like they didn't have any proof or are holding it back for now. Isn't the fact that they didn't make some up a positive thing? Perhaps they are saving up all of their evidence for one dramatic presentation for effect instead of dribs and drabs considering the fact that the war is pretty much off of most people's radar right now. Perhaps no more evidence exists and the Iranians have stopped the activity knowing full well the time is coming where Bush would make a move.

[mhaverty]

mhaverty isn't exactly a reliable source of information. I think I'll stick with forming my own opinions, and in my opinion, bombing Iran seems like a stupid thing to do, which seems to be a clear indicator that it is exactly the type of thing the current administration would attempt.

You can't even read.

[guest of a friend]

I said they will use proof of Iranian activities as a rationale to bomb and go to war. Why? Because it is a viable rationale genius. Looks like they didn't have any proof or are holding it back for now. Isn't the fact that they didn't make some up a positive thing? Perhaps they are saving up all of their evidence for one dramatic presentation for effect instead of dribs and drabs considering the fact that the war is pretty much off of most people's radar right now. Perhaps no more evidence exists and the Iranians have stopped the activity knowing full well the time is coming where Bush would make a move.

The never stopped making shit up.

Nice try.

[mhaverty]

The never stopped making shit up.

Nice try.

God I hope they haven't because I could really use some more shock and awe.

[benhamean]

mhaverty is down with bombing the fuck out of the iranians, says their supplying weapons to iraq is tantamout to an act of war!

Go figure. I don't know who to believe anymore.

Don't forget the '75 to 80%' of our population who would be down with it, too, 'in a nano-second'...

[mhaverty]

Don't forget the '75 to 80%' of our population who would be down with it, too, 'in a nano-second'...

Just watch Ben. If the Pentagon makes a hard case for iranian medling in Iraq and its quest for nukes you are going to be dissapointed at how short the memories of many moderate americans really are. Key word being "pentagon" and not "bush". People will trust generals esp. when it comes to Iran.

[benhamean]

Just watch Ben. If the Pentagon makes a hard case for iranian medling in Iraq and its quest for nukes you are going to be dissapointed at how short the memories of many moderate americans really are. Key word being "pentagon" and not "bush". People will trust generals esp. when it comes to Iran.

Anybody who pays any attention knows (and opposing voices will scream it to the rest) that the pentagon has been politically stacked by Bush lately. There is little to no military objectivity there now. The 'dissenting voices' have been weeded out, and those left are the ladder climbers. The objectivity of the military leadership was strongly diminished by Rummy...

The 'crying wolf' that was done in Iraq will now require tha 25 times the 'case' that was made there be made for Iran (which is the real shitty part of this, actually, that now potential ACTUAL imminent threats will be met by deserved skepticsm when brought out by this administration).

[woof.]

God I hope they haven't because I could really use some more shock and awe.

I'd be more inclined to say you need an enema, and some critical thinking skills...and that's just for starters.

[mhaverty]

Anybody who pays any attention knows (and opposing voices will scream it to the rest) that the pentagon has been politically stacked by Bush lately. There is little to no military objectivity there now. The 'dissenting voices' have been weeded out, and those left are the ladder climbers. The objectivity of the military leadership was strongly diminished by Rummy...

The 'crying wolf' that was done in Iraq will now require tha 25 times the 'case' that was made there be made for Iran (which is the real shitty part of this, actually, that now potential ACTUAL imminent threats will be met by deserved skepticsm when brought out by this administration).

Yes but nobody pays attention Ben. You know that. And some that do don't care. If you noticed it has been Casey and Patreus doing all the political heavy lifting over the last year and Bush has stayed out of it. If Patreus goes on national TV and tells the American public he needs to take action against Iran a majority of americans wil be on board and you know for a fact more than half of the democrat congressment and senators will fold like pussies in the face of it.

[mhaverty]

I'd be more inclined to say you need an enema, and some critical thinking skills...and that's just for starters.

[benhamean]

Yes but nobody pays attention Ben. You know that. And some that do don't care. If you noticed it has been Casey and Patreus doing all the political heavy lifting over the last year and Bush has stayed out of it. If Patreus goes on national TV and tells the American public he needs to take action against Iran a majority of americans wil be on board and you know for a fact more than half of the democrat congressment and senators will fold like pussies in the face of it.

We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this.

I feel that the average American skepticism level has gone above a threshold.

[mhaverty]

We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this.

I feel that the average American skepticism level has gone above a threshold.

They have on some levels but remember 2 years ago during the funding debates when you felt the signs were there (Warner et al) that the Republican leadarship was ready to pull the plug on the war? Sentiments toward the war are also shifting back now that a real and working strategy has been in place for over a year now.

[benhamean]

They have on some levels but remember 2 years ago during the funding debates when you felt the signs were there (Warner et al) that the Republican leadarship was ready to pull the plug on the war? Sentiments toward the war are also shifting back now that a real and working strategy has been in place for over a year now.

Sixty-two percent say the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq, the first time that number has topped 60%.

[The Balls]

I said they will use proof of Iranian activities as a rationale to bomb and go to war. Why? Because it is a viable rationale genius. Looks like they didn't have any proof or are holding it back for now. Isn't the fact that they didn't make some up a positive thing? Perhaps they are saving up all of their evidence for one dramatic presentation for effect instead of dribs and drabs considering the fact that the war is pretty much off of most people's radar right now. Perhaps no more evidence exists and the Iranians have stopped the activity knowing full well the time is coming where Bush would make a move.

this is the most ridiculous thing you have ever said in a long line of ridiculous things that you've said.

Should we really celebrate that the government isn't making things up for once?

the war is off people's radar? Really? 22 year old kids dying is never off people's radar, Einstein. If you polled the American people right now, the war will STILL be the number one issue - by leaps and bounds. You and the rest of your republican whores would like to think that people aren't thinking about the war, in a "don't look at the man behind the curtain" kind of way, but it's just patently stupid to think that's true.

Honestly, you either buy the Bush propaganda hook line and sinker, or you're part of the propaganda machine.

[Brootsquad]

this is the most ridiculous thing you have ever said in a long line of ridiculous things that you've said.

Should we really celebrate that the government isn't making things up for once?

the war is off people's radar? Really? 22 year old kids dying is never off people's radar, Einstein. If you polled the American people right now, the war will STILL be the number one issue - by leaps and bounds. You and the rest of your republican whores would like to think that people aren't thinking about the war, in a "don't look at the man behind the curtain" kind of way, but it's just patently stupid to think that's true.

Honestly, you either buy the Bush propaganda hook line and sinker, or you're part of the propaganda machine.

And a HUGE part antagonist that likes to get you guys going.

[The Balls]

Just watch Ben. If the Pentagon makes a hard case for iranian medling in Iraq and its quest for nukes you are going to be dissapointed at how short the memories of many moderate americans really are. Key word being "pentagon" and not "bush". People will trust generals esp. when it comes to Iran.

I truly believe that Bush will be either shot or impeached if he does this.

And your mind blowing ability to be in touch with what Americans think is about as adept as Bush's job approval rating...which is right around 23% right now. If you tried a little harder, you might be even further off from what Americans outside Kansas and Texas think.

[The Balls]

And a HUGE part antagonist that likes to get you guys going.

I hope for his sake that he's tryig to get us going.

because the alternative is that he's just stupid.

[mhaverty]

Sixty-two percent say the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq, the first time that number has topped 60%.

No date on it but that was over a year ago....

Here is what I'm talking about braseph:

"Still, 55% say Congress should wait to develop a new policy on Iraq until Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, delivers a promised assessment in September; 40% say Congress should act now."

I bet that 55% who were putting their faith in Patraeus is even higher now that the surge has shown solid results and the Iraqi's standing up in Basra and no Sadr City and winning is the greatest story never told as of May 22 2008.

Here is a recent one since the surge:

American public support for the military effort in Iraq has reached a high point unseen since the summer of 2006, a development that promises to reshape the political landscape.

[mhaverty]

this is the most ridiculous thing you have ever said in a long line of ridiculous things that you've said.

Should we really celebrate that the government isn't making things up for once?

the war is off people's radar? Really? 22 year old kids dying is never off people's radar, Einstein. If you polled the American people right now, the war will STILL be the number one issue - by leaps and bounds. You and the rest of your republican whores would like to think that people aren't thinking about the war, in a "don't look at the man behind the curtain" kind of way, but it's just patently stupid to think that's true.

Honestly, you either buy the Bush propaganda hook line and sinker, or you're part of the propaganda machine.

Of course not. I was just taking a stab at Guest or Sparky the Dunce since they blame everything Bush and the military does as being made up.

The war is off the political radar and the media radar. News out of Iraq has slowed down to a trickle. Even ultra liberals and anti war types are bemoaning this fact. The question I ask you is.... Why? People still care but it is number 3 or even 4 on the current "big issue" list. I think that is disgusting but it is a fact. Has nothing to do with my politics.

[mhaverty]

I truly believe that Bush will be either shot or impeached if he does this.

And your mind blowing ability to be in touch with what Americans think is about as adept as Bush's job approval rating...which is right around 23% right now. If you tried a little harder, you might be even further off from what Americans outside Kansas and Texas think.

His poplularity is so low the Democrat congress gave him EVERYTHING he wanted in terms of war funding.

If you look to the poll from March of 08 I just posted you will see sentiments are shifting back. If you look to the one Benhamean posted you will see that even in summer 07 a majority of americans wanted to give Patreaus a shot. Do you think that sentiment supporting him is going to get worse now that he is proven that the clear hold and build stragegy is working and Iraqi troops have fought and won in three major areas in the past few months?