To: kumar who wrote (2093 ) 7/9/2007 8:34:33 AM From: Hawkmoon Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 4152 Its not appropriate to say "I know something, I cant tell you, trust me, and I want you to support it". The evidence is being provided... That article I posted discussed the capture of the OPERATIONAL COMMANDER of Iran's Quds Force, with the rank of, as I recall, Brigadier General. He was not in Iraq with an official passport. His presence in Iraq would be comparable to the presence of a US Special Forces General (SOCOM) being in Iran without authorization. Furthermore, they possessed false identification (operating covertly, or otherwise known as SPYING ):news.bbc.co.uk Mortar rounds are identified as being of RECENT Iranian manufacture (2006):news.bbc.co.uk news.bbc.co.uk cfr.org Now.. this is what Admiral McConnell had to specifically say about Iran:Question: In recent months U.S. officials have claimed to have evidence that Iran is providing support to insurgents in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and there’s been a lot of hawkish rhetoric thrown around Washington toward Tehran. In light of the prewar intelligence failures in Iraq, how much stock you put in these reports? Answer: Interesting choice of words, the way you framed it—you said “claims,” as if it’s alleged, and not true, and you said “hawkish,” as if somebody has a political agenda. I have no political agenda. My mission is to speak truth to power. My mission is to be apolitical and to examine the data and provide a report. There’s very clear evidence—overwhelming evidence—that Iranians are providing support and munitions and capability—the most heinous of those are referred to as EFPs, that’s shorthand for Explosively Formed Projectile. What does that mean? If your method of attack that is most effective turns out to be a roadside bomb, and the response on the part of the forces that are being attacked is to build it heavier—more armor—then what you need to be effective is some way to penetrate armor or to push through. There’s a technique in the munitions business: If you can explosively form the projectile it can penetrate many, many inches of armor. So when the Iraqi insurgents were proving to be less successful, what the Iranians provided were these specially designed machines. The Iranians today, we have clear evidence, are providing the very weapons that are causing U.S. servicemen and women to die. That’s clear, that’s not refuted, that’s not hawkish, that’s not shaded. That is the fact. End quote Now Kumar, like yourself, I would like to see even MORE evidence being presented of Iran's involvement in perpetrating an insurgency against Iraq (and Coalition forces). I think too much stuff is classified that should be released. But, IMO, I believe that sometimes things are classified to PREVENT a reaction of outrage by the American people and an escalation of hostilities between the US and Iran. We just want them to stop, and we're announcing that we've caught them "red-handed". The rest will be handled in back-channels until such a point arrives where there is no further progress and it becomes inevitable that we're going to war. Hawk