Topic: U.S. Military Says It Captured 5 Iranians Linked To Group That Arms Insurgents In Ira

Washington Post
January 14, 2007
Pg. 16

By Reuters
BAGHDAD--Five Iranians arrested by U.S. forces in northern Iraq are connected to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard group that provides weapons to Iraqi insurgents, the U.S. military said on Sunday.
The five were arrested on Thursday in a U.S. raid on an Iranian government office in the Iraqi city of Arbil -- the second such operation in a month.
``Preliminary results revealed the five detainees are connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard - Qods Force (IRGC-QF), an organization known for providing funds, weapons, improvised explosive device technology and training to extremist groups attempting to destabilize the Government of Iraq and attack Coalition forces,'' the U.S. military said in a statement.
``The Multi-National Force, in keeping with U.S. policy, will continue to disrupt logistical support to extremists that originate from outside Iraq,'' it said.
The United States has long accused Iran of interfering in Iraq, including providing weapons and training to Shi'ite forces.
U.S. military officials and Iranian exiles say there is increasing evidence that many of the most sophisticated roadside bombs being used against U.S. troops are produced in Iran.
President Bush, who also accuses Syria of fomenting violence in Iraq, on Wednesday proposed sending 21,500 more U.S. troops to try to restore security nearly four years after the U.S.-led invasion.
He sparked concern that the conflict may widen with his comment that the United States would interrupt the ``flow of support'' from Iran and Syria and destroy the ``networks'' providing weaponry and training to U.S. foes in Iraq.