General Barbero: Iran supporting Sunni insurgents

Left: Mortar rounds which the military says are of Iranian manufacture. The military said the weapons were found in a Mercedes parked outside a Sunni home two weeks ago, and showed them in a press conference last week, where the same accusations were made.

Iranian intelligence forces are supporting Sunni insurgents in Iraq, in addition to Shi'ites, to destabilize the country and tie U.S. forces down, a U.S. general said on Thursday.

The comments from Maj. Gen. Michael Barbero, deputy director for regional operations in the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, marked a further escalation in U.S. accusations against Iran's Shi'ite government.

"Detainees in American custody have indicated that Iranian intelligence operatives have given support to Sunni insurgents and then we've discovered some munitions in Baghdad neighborhoods which are largely Sunni that were manufactured in Iran," Barbero said. He did not give further details.

Asked why Iranian forces would support Sunnis, Barbero said they seek to "to destabilize Iraq, tie us down. Pretty much the same strategic goals they have by supporting the Shia insurgents."

Read the rest at Reuters/Alternet

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