The Continued Buildup Towards Iran

by: Chris LeJeune

Mon May 05, 2008 at 14:36:47 PM EDT

BAGHDAD, May 4 -- The Iraqi government said Sunday that it has "concrete evidence" Iran is fomenting violence in  Iraq and that a high-level panel had been formed to document the proof.

Taken by itself, this is a situation of concern.  However, the Shi'ite really starts to hit the fan when you factor in other information as well.  First of all, there are three main questions that need to be answered.  One, how is Iran aiding these militias?  Is it through the supply of weapons, training, or logistical and operational support?  Two, what is the Iraqi government's strategy for dealing with this?  And most importantly, what is the US government planning in response?  Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the following:  

"There is an interference and evidence that they have interfered in Iraqi affairs," Dabbagh said in an interview arranged by a U.S. official. When asked how he would characterize the proof that Iranian weapons are flowing into Iraq, he said: "It is a concrete evidence."

This is an attempt to clarify remarks made earlier in the day regarding Iranian involvement.  Along with the supply of weaponry, there is proof that Iran is also providing training to Iraqi militias.

The New York Times is reporting  a training camp that is located inside Iran.

BAGHDAD - Militants from the Lebanese group Hezbollah have been training Iraqi militia fighters at a camp near Tehran, according to American interrogation reports that the United States has supplied to the Iraqi government.

As far as the Iraqi government's position regarding this, Ali al-Dabbagh provides some insight:

"We can't ignore or deny we are neighbors. We do not want to be pushed in a struggle with any country, especially Iran," he told a news conference.

"We are fed up with past tensions that we have paid a costly price for because some parties have pushed Iraq (in the past) to take an aggressive attitude to Iran."

So this brings the final and most important question: what is the US response?  Well, according to former UN ambassador John Bolton a strike on Iran would be the "prudent thing to do."

I think this is a case where the use of military force against a training camp to show the Iranians we're not going to tolerate this is really the most prudent thing to do. Then the ball would be in Iran's court to draw the appropriate lesson to stop harming our troops.

And it seems the US government agrees with him

The US military is drawing up plans for a "surgical strike" against an insurgent training camp inside Iran if Republican Guards continue with attempts to destabilise Iraq, western intelligence sources said last week. One source said the Americans were growing increasingly angry at the involvement of the Guards' special-operations Quds force inside Iraq, training Shi'ite militias and smuggling weapons into the country.

Along with this, there is also the buildup of Camp Delta, in Kut, Iraq 37 miles from the Iranian border.

There has been no public announcement. But two weeks ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers posted modifications to an earlier notice that disclosed it is seeking construction companies or joint ventures interested in bidding to design and build two "life support areas" at Camp Delta -- one to house 2,000 troops and the other 4,000.

So, what effect will this have overall?  If America bombs Iran, what will be the effect on soldiers in Iraq, especially those at Camp Delta?  Will there be an Iranian response?  Will it be a military response, or an economic one?  Or both?  And of course, would they strike us here at home?  

But the larger question is this: What should we do?