Iran joined militias in battle for Basra

[Attero Dominatus]

From The Sunday Times
April 6, 2008
Iran joined militias in battle for Basra
Sarah Baxter and Marie Colvin

IRANIAN forces were involved in the recent battle for Basra, General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, is expected to tell Congress this week.

Military and intelligence sources believe Iranians were operating at a tactical command level with the Shi’ite militias fighting Iraqi security forces; some were directing operations on the ground, they think.

Petraeus intends to use the evidence of Iranian involvement to argue against any reductions in US forces.

Dr Daniel Goure, a defence analyst at the Lexington Institute in Virginia, said: “There is no question that Petraeus will be tough on Iran. It is one thing to withdraw troops when there is purely sectarian fighting but it is another thing if it leaves the Iranians to move in.”

US defence chiefs are concerned that the troop surge has overstretched the military. Admiral Mike McMullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, warned that the army and marines were at risk of crossing an “invisible red line” if the burden on forces remained. He said deployments of 15 months had to be reduced to a year “as fast as possible”.

Petraeus is likely to announce that combat tours will be reduced from 15 months to 12 months.

The number of US troops in Iraq is set to fall from 160,000 to 140,000 by July, but Petraeus is expected to recommend an indefinite pause in further troop cuts.

More: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3690010.ece

[Chris_]

The only people that this is news to are the moonbats that won't admit Iran is supporting the enemy in Iraq.

The Chinese were supporting the North Koreans and the North Vietnamese.  This isn't the first time another country has supported an enemy of the US during war.

[TheSarge]

This makes sense.

al-Sadr didn't have the manpower to pull off Basra on his own.