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Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq

[U.S. Defense Department] Gen. David H. Petraeus - In his September 10, 2007, testimony before Congress, General David H. Petraeus made several observations about the roles of Syria and Iran in the current conflict in Iraq. In a map entitled "Major Threats to Iraq," he presented three arrows coming out of Syria into Iraq, which were labeled "Foreign Fighter Flow." No such arrows were used on other borders. According to the same map, Iran was responsible for "Lethal Aid, Training, Funding." In his prepared remarks he also noted: We have also disrupted Shia militia extremists, capturing the head and numerous other leaders of the Iranian-supported Special Groups, along with a senior Lebanese Hizbullah operative supporting Iran's activities in Iraq. Foreign and home-grown terrorists, insurgents, militia extremists, and criminals all push the ethno-sectarian competition toward violence. Malign actions by Syria and, especially, by Iran fuel that violence. In the past six months we have also targeted Shia militia extremists, capturing a number of senior leaders and fighters, as well as the deputy commander of Lebanese Hizbullah Department 2800, the organization created to support the training, arming, funding, and, in some cases, direction of the militia extremists by the Iranian Republican Guard Corps' Qods Force. These elements have assassinated and kidnapped Iraqi governmental leaders, killed and wounded our soldiers with advanced explosive devices provided by Iran, and indiscriminately rocketed civilians in the International Zone and elsewhere. It is increasingly apparent to both Coalition and Iraqi leaders that Iran, through the use of the Qods Force, seeks to turn the Iraqi Special Groups into a Hizbullah-like force to serve its interests and fight a proxy war against the Iraqi state and Coalition forces in Iraq.
2007-09-11 01:00:00
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