Shipment of high explosives intercepted in Iraq

By Aussiegirl

The recent roadside bombings that have taken such a huge toll on our forces in Iraq are directly related to Iran's open involvement in that country. Recent intercepts of high explosives point to Iran as the source of the powerful "shaped charges" that led to the deaths of 16 Marines in a recent bombing. Iran is forming a seemingly curious alliance with Sunni-led forces looking to undermine and destroy the nascent democracy in Iraq. At first blush, this would seem to make no sense, as the Iranian mullahs are Shia and therefore, supposedly inimical to the interests of the Sunnis. But never count out the cunning Middle Eastern mindset. The Iranians fear first and foremost, the imposition of democracy in Iraq, and also see this as an opportunity to strike out at American forces and American power and to drive the U.S. from Iraq. Once they have accomplished this, however, the other disturbing revelation is that they are also forming alliances with the Shia parties now being formed in Southern Iraq, particularly Basra. As such, making common cause with the Shia parties in Iraq, which do not represent the average Iraq, according to knowlegeable sources, they win in either case. Either they destroy Iraqi democracy, or they subvert it to their own advantage by making alliances with the Shia majority parties in Iraq, thereby creating a Greater Persia in the long run, something they have long aimed to do. The Iraq-Iran war was waged partially with that goal in mind. In liberating Iraq it would be ironic if the United States unwittingly opened the door to long-term Iranian goals. The United States must address this open Iranian aggression and meddling in a strong and muscular way.

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U.S. military and intelligence officials tell NBC News that American soldiers intercepted a large shipment of high explosives, smuggled into northeastern Iraq from Iran only last week.

The officials say the shipment contained dozens of "shaped charges" manufactured recently. Shaped charges are especially lethal because they’re designed to concentrate and direct a more powerful blast into a small area.

“They’ll go right through a very heavily armored vehicle like an M1-A1 tank from one side right out the other side,” says retired U.S. Army General Barry McCaffrey.

Military officials say there’s only one use for shaped charges — to kill American forces — and insurgents started using them in Iraq with deadly effectiveness three months ago.

Intelligence officials believe the high-explosives were shipped into Iraq by the Iranian Revolutionary guard or the terrorist group Hezbollah, but are convinced it could not have happened without the full consent of the Iranian government.

And Thursday, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld accused Iran of attempting to derail the democratic process in Iraq.

Iran’s Shiite government has also struck up a seemingly strange alliance with Sunni insurgents to try to drive the American military out of Iraq.

"They are desperate to get us out of Iraq” says Michael Ledeen, author of "The War Against the Terror Masters" and resident scholar in the Freedom Chair at the American Enterprise Institute. “If we succeed in Iraq they will be surrounded by elected governments.”

Military officials acknowledge that these explosives are only the tip of the iceberg... and predict the deadly bombings in Iraq are far from over.