First comes the unqualified accusation:
Specialist bomb-makers targeting British troops in southern
Iraq are being trained by an elite arm of Iran's armed forces,
UK defence sources say.
Then comes the admission that there is no evidence:
The prime minister said evidence linked the attacks either to
Iran or its militant, Lebanese allies Hezbollah, but added
that officials could not be sure.
Finally, the ultimate in hypocrisy / chutzpa:
Despite the qualification, Mr Blair said there could be "no
justification" for interfering in Iraq.
rkm
--------------------------------------------------------
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4333246.stm
Iran 'is training Basra killers'
Specialist bomb-makers targeting British troops in southern
Iraq are being trained by an elite arm of Iran's armed forces,
UK defence sources say.
Insurgents making tank-busting explosives, which have killed
eight UK soldiers in recent months, are being trained in Iran
and Lebanon, they say.
BBC defence correspondent Paul Wood in Basra says the claims
implicate the Iranian government. Tehran denies them.
The MoD said the new claims supported Tony Blair's concerns of
an Iran link.
Shaped charger
The prime minister said evidence linked the attacks either to
Iran or its militant, Lebanese allies Hezbollah, but added
that officials could not be sure.
Defence sources now say Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which is
an elite fighting force appointed by the country's supreme
leader, is giving the original bomb-making training to Iraq
insurgents, our correspondent said.
The bomb specialists are then said to return to Basra where
they spread the knowledge among fellow insurgents targeting
British military convoys.
The bombs being used have a specially shaped charge capable of
puncturing a hole in the cladding of UK armoured vehicles,
Paul Wood said.
The particular nature of those devices lead us either to
Iranian elements or to Hezbollah... however, we can't be sure
of this Tony Blair on claims of an Iran link
The success of these attacks has led British forces to use
helicopters to transport troops so as to avoid being targeted,
he added.
These fresh claims, which first appeared in the Sun newspaper,
follow earlier allegations by a British official over Iranian
links to the Shia insurgents in southern Iraq.
The unnamed official also linked the type of bombs used in the
attacks on UK forces in Basra to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
They had provided technology to a Shia Muslim group in
southern Iraq, he claimed, prompting a diplomatic storm.
The accusation was the first time a British official had made
specific allegations over Iran's role in Iraq.
'Baseless'
Speaking at a joint news conference in London with Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani last week, Mr Blair said it was clear
"that there have been new explosive devices used - not just
against British troops but elsewhere in Iraq.
"The particular nature of those devices lead us either to
Iranian elements or to Hezbollah... however, we can't be sure
of this," he added.
Despite the qualification, Mr Blair said there could be "no
justification" for interfering in Iraq.
The Ministry of Defence said these new claims supported the
prime minister's comments.
'No proof'
A spokesman said the evidence pointed towards Iranian
involvement, but it did not have decisive proof.
Reiterating the prime minister's statement he said: "What is
clear is that there are new types of explosives being used by
insurgents in Basra and elsewhere in Iraq.
"The particular nature of them leads us to think of Iranian
elements or Hezbollah".
But he said there was no clear proof Iran's Revolutionary
Guard was involved.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the UK hoped to discuss the
evidence with Iran.
But the Iranian government has dismissed the claims as
"baseless" and demanded the UK government produce evidence to
back up the claims.
It has also denied any role in the blasts that have killed
eight British soldiers in Iraq in the last five months.
Meanwhile British forces in Iraq are trying to draw a line
under the storming of a police station in Basra by saying the
UK is prepared to pay compensation for injuries and damage
suffered in the incident.
In a joint statement, the British Consulate General,
representing the Army, and the Provincial Council of Basra
expressed "regret" over the incidents which took place in the
city on September 19.
"We also regret the casualties on both sides and the material
damage to public facilities," the statement said.
"The British Government is prepared to pay valid claims for
compensation for casualties and material damage in the
well-established manner."
The British commander in the city ordered troops to storm the
police station to rescue two undercover SAS soldiers who were
said to have been handed over to local militias after being
arrested by Iraqi police.
The local governor denounced the British action as "barbaric"
and the incident threatened to wreck relations between the UK
forces and Iraqi authorities.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/4333246.stm
Published: 2005/10/12 10:03:20 GMT
© BBC MMV
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