IED’s and ERM’s in Iraq Are Not Made in Iran

(note: The Governor, Bill Ritter, and many in the legislature, have been using the notion that Iran is providing many or most of the road side bombs (called i.e.d.s and e.r.m.’s as an excuse to push the legislature to support divestment of the state pension fund, PERA, from companies doing business with Iran, despite the fact that the evidence is very thin. Below some links are provided to suggest just how think is the evidence)

March 2006 Clip from `The Daily Show’

note: this clip from the Daily Show…shows General Pace denying that he has proof that Iran is providing IEDs to Iraq

3/6/2006 ABC News Clip Claiming IED’s in Iraq Come From Iran

note: typical piece from ABC News: accusation is made, although in somewhat couched language…but there is no proof offered.

3/6/2006 Blog Entry on how IED’s `made in Iran’ were actually made in Ireland

note: an interesting piece that suggests that the ieds were possibly made in the UK and that the British press in October presented no evidence to prove that ieds in Iraq came from Iran.

1/17/2007 Article by Gareth Porter

note: gareth porter…very reliable source – strongest case against the Iranian-ied claim

2/7/2007 Washington Post Article Claiming Iran is Furnishing IED’s and ERP’s to Iraqi Insurgents

note: the military’s case of linking erp’s to Iran in Washington Post

2/7/2007 New York Times Article Claiming Iran is Furnishign IED’s and ERP’s to Iraqi Insurgents

note: the military’s case of linking the erp’s to Iran in New York Times

2/11/2007 AntiWar Blog

note: from a blog, but it cites General Pace’s quote

2/16/2007 – Andrew Cockburn Rebuttal to the Iran IED/ERP Connection Claim

note: This piece, in the LA Times, is by Andrew Cockburn, one of the finer British journalists covering the war in Iraq: main point: anyone can make an erp and there is no evidence that Iranians are supplying them

2/16/2007 – `IED Lies’ – Piece from Znet

note: znet – yes a `left’ source, the `net’ version of Z Magazine, but almost always reliable…again like gareth porter’s piece, it argues that no evidence has been presented to conclude the Iranians are providing ied’s to Iraq

2/26/2007 – Lawyers Guns and Money Blog

note: main point: US military doesn’t know where erp’s are being manufactured.

2/26/2007 – Iraq’s Bombs Home Made?

note: excellent blog piece – refers to Andrew Cockburn article above

6/21/2007 – PBS news item on IED’s

note: this article doesn’t say that ied’s were or weren’t manufactured in iran but it emphasizes how easy it is to make them.

9/24/2007 – Raw Story: CIA said to step up operations in Iran as hawks seek to tie Iraq bombs to Tehran

note: – again, a claim is made, no evidence…although in this one it explains what might actually be going on…the c.i.a. has been involved in covert operations in iran, it uses the ied issue as a cover. i am told that today’s (Feb 2, 2008) New York Times has a piece on a botched CIA operation in Iran. haven’t seen it yet

1/4/2008 – Canadian News Out Claims Iran Providing IED’s to Afgan Rebels

note: now the claim that Iran is supplying ied’s to Afganistan as well – but note once again, a charge, no evidence provided.

2/1/2008 – Article from the Asia Times

note: deep in this article is the reference to the cost of building an ied `approximately the cost of a pizza’…

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