BAGHDAD — The U.S. military has intensified its search for Iranian
operatives in Iraq.
"Iran is very active in the southern part of Iraq," U.S. National
Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said. "They are training Iraqis in Iran who
come into Iraq and attack our forces, Iraqi forces, Iraqi civilians. There
are movements of equipment. There's movements of funds."
Officials said the military has sought to capture or expel officers from
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps based in Iraq. The military has
concluded that IRGC was directing the Shi'ite revolt in Baghdad and Basra.
So far, a handful of suspected IRGC operatives have been arrested over
the last week amid intensified Shi'ite attacks against the U.S.-led
coalition. On April 13, the military reported the detention of an
Iranian-trained intelligence operative in Balad.
The military statement said the operative, an Iraqi national, was
working with criminal cells in collecting intelligence on U.S. troops. The
statement said the intelligence, focused on air bases in the Balad region,
was relayed to Teheran.
Officials said Iran was believed to have trained, equipped and directed
the Mahdi Army revolt against the Baghdad government in late March. They
said the revolt was the result of nearly a year of preparation by IRGC.
The military captured more than a dozen IRGC officers and operatives in
Iraq over the last two years. Most of them were quietly released in wake of
a pledge by Teheran not to intervene in Iraq. Officials agree that Iran has
violated that promise.
