By Simon Tisdall in Guardian Online
Iran’s secret plan for summer offensive to force US out of Iraq
“Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq and it’s a very dangerous course for them to be following. They are already committing daily acts of war against US and British forces,” a senior US official in Baghdad warned. “They [Iran] are behind a lot of high-profile attacks meant to undermine US will and British will, such as the rocket attacks on Basra palace and the Green Zone [in Baghdad]. The attacks are directed by the Revolutionary Guard who are connected right to the top [of the Iranian government].”
…US officials now say they have firm evidence that Tehran has switched tack as it senses a chance of victory in Iraq. In a parallel development, they say they also have proof that Iran has reversed its previous policy in Afghanistan and is now supporting and supplying the Taliban’s campaign against US, British and other Nato forces.
…Any US decision to retaliate against Iran on its own territory could be taken only at the highest political level in Washington, the official said. But he indicated that American patience was wearing thin.
Craig,
I see the Guardian are printing stories from those unaccountable 'sources' and 'senior US officials' again, in the same way they did a few months ago with regard to the roadside bombs.
big claims, but no names. If no-one is willing to put their name to it, I rarely believe it.
It sounds like more disinformation coming out of the Iran Policy committee run by Dick Cheyney. http://tinyurl.com/235wwo
I will therefore take it with the pinch of salt that it deserves.
I too think this story is rather vague, but what it does tell us is something about current US thinking in relation to Iran. I believe the current Bush administration would dearly love to attack Iran and force through regime change, which would open up Iran's energy resources to foreign investment, however, the problem is, how to attack Iran without causing a massive global outcry? It must be very tempting to crush the last remaining opposition in a region of such value and importance.
Simon Tisdall and The Guardian have seriously damaged their own credibility by simply repeating material fed to them by "senior US officials in Baghdad".
Check out http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/podcasts/2007/05/audi…
and http://www.leninology.blogspot.com/
for some withering criticism of The Guardian for simply regurgitating these unsubstantiated claims.
It's all rather strange. The Guardian has plainly been in a crisis for years, with the powerful Blairite camp in the driving seat, but they don't generally get this bad.
Of course, if we left Iraq, that would solve the problem of people attacking our troops there.
More fool the Grauniad for appointing Tisdall as its Deputy Editor. I've never had much time for his supercilious attitudes towards his ideological enemies but this latest shows how embedded and complacent the guy has become.
I've been having an exchange of emails with Michael White who I think is still the Assistant Editor. His replies were not simply defensive but somewhat hysterical, suggesting that the Grauniad's editors are in more than a bit of a tizz about all the hostile feedback they're getting.
Hope it keeps piling in. It's been a long time coming.
Kosmik, Chimes of Freedom, http://chimesofreedom.blogspot.com
Michael White is a particular bugbear of mine as a major Jack Straw toady.
Craig