U.S. Says Iran- Supplied Bomb Is Killing More Troops in Iraq

[jefferson_dem]

Source: NYT

August 8, 2007
U.S. Says Iran- Supplied Bomb Is Killing More Troops in Iraq
By MICHAEL R. GORDON

BAGHDAD, Aug. 7 — Attacks on American-led forces using a lethal type of roadside bomb said to be supplied by Iran reached a new high in July, according to the American military.

The devices, known as explosively formed penetrators, were used to carry out 99 attacks last month and accounted for a third of the combat deaths suffered by the American-led forces, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the No. 2 commander in Iraq, said in an interview.

Such bombs, which fire a semi-molten copper slug that can penetrate the armor on a Humvee and are among the deadliest weapons used against American forces, are used almost exclusively by Shiite militants. American intelligence officials have presented evidence that the weapons come from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, although Iran has repeatedly denied providing lethal assistance to Iraqi groups.

In recent weeks, the American military has focused on mounting operations in sanctuaries used by Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, a Sunni group that is predominately made up of Iraqis but has foreign leadership. But, as the information provided by General Odierno shows, Shiite militias remain a major long-term worry.

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Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/world/middleeast/08military.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

[EFerrari]

1. Did they also mention we've doubled our bombing?

What they deny

What they accuse others of

The opposite of what they say

[Elidor]

2. Somebody set us up the bomb?

American intelligence officials have presented evidence that the weapons come from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, although Iran has repeatedly denied providing lethal assistance to Iraqi groups they didn't actually show it to us, and we certainly wouldn't show it to YOU. Just trust us on this. We know things you don't. Booga-booga!

[The Stranger]

9. All your base are belong to us.

[msongs]

3. missing US weapons are no doubt killing even more... nt

[killbotfactory]

4. Not this canard, again

These bombs are easy to make. You literally just need some explosives, a plate of copper, and a trigger. There is nothing magical about these devices, and Iraqi's are certainly capable of making them without the help of Iran.

[ptolle]

5. indeed

I seem to recall reading some time go that American troops had discovered a fabrication facility for just these sorts of weapons in Iraq.I've not had any luck tracking down the item again.As far as explosives the 380 tons that somehow got away from a munitions storage facility early on in this misadventure included IIRC high velocity explosives perfect for these weapons.The propagandists would like us to believe they are sophisticated devices when in reality they're not much more advanced than a Molotov cocktail.

[Igel]

8. The articles said they were for assembly.

Rather like a car factory doesn't usually have casting facilities to make engine blocks or a plant that actually produces the paint, but insted assembles the materials made elsewhere.

The further claim is that the bombs are trivial to make, as long as you don't care about their efficacy. It said that if there are imperfections, esp. at the edges, or if the plate's the wrong thickness, all you get is small shrapnel that's ineffective. (So, yes, they're not more complicated than a Molotov cocktail; and yes, they're not trivial to make in the absence of a certain expertise and technical base. Yes, they're made in Iraq; yes, they might well require foreign expertise. As Dumbledore said when Potter asked if the final meeting with Dumbledore was real or in Potter's mind, Why does one preclude the other?)

[Middle finga]

7. I get tired of them trying to blame all the problems were facing

on some outside force, we are suppose to believe the Iraqis would be grateful to us if it wasn't for those damn Al Qaeda and now we are suppose to believe the Iraqis can't be putting up such a fight it's got to be the Iranians. Our entire government seems to be in denial.

[0007]

6. How does the American military know this to be true when they

don't even know where one single weapon of 190,000 American guns were lost?

[rcsl1998]

10. Written By Judith Miller's Cohort in "Tales from the White House"

Michael R. Gordon was on the byline with Judith Miller on many of the faux stories planted by the White House in the run up to the invasion of Iraq. Looks like he's still doing the bidding of his neocon masters.

[Comadreja]

11. Remember the Al Qaqa Ammo dump SNAFU?

Literally tons of C4 carted off while Rummy secured the Oil Ministry buildings. I doubt the looters were Iranians.