Iranian-Made Rocket Discovered Near Basra Alarms Iraqis
New Iranian-made weapons have shown up in Iraq, prompting the country's government to deliver some sharp words for the regime in Tehran.
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The Iraqi minister of defense pushed the debate with the Iranians over their provision of weapons to Shia militias one more step on Monday. Minister Abdul Qadir Obeidi indirectly confronted the Iranians, without naming them, with new findings that prove their involvement in the arming of Shia militias.
On Monday, state-owned al-Sabah published a statement by the minister in which he spoke of the capture of a certain type of rocket that was never found in militia-held caches until now:
Defense minister Abdul Qadir Mohammed Obeidi revealed that army troops found a 200-mm ground-to-ground rocket manufactured in 2007 during a search operation by the troops north of Basra. Obeidi told al-Sabah in an exclusive interview that, under international laws and norms, this kind of rocket can be traded only with the approval of parliaments and is used only at times of extreme necessity during wars … and wondered how this rocket entered the country. Obeidi added that this rocket can be launched only from a special platform and by specialized crews.
From what I read in Iraq’s two biggest newspapers, it seems that the government is trying to step up the rhetoric against Iranian interference in Iraq and to induce uproar among the Iraqi public. Azzaman had the following information about the found rocket, provided by “intelligence officials“:
The rocket was manufactured in 2007 in Iran and is called Falaq-1. Falaq-1 is a strategic missile of immense destruction power and was used by Hezbollah against Israel in the July 2006 war. … The sources mentioned that launching this type of rocket requires a crew of several people with advanced technological expertise. … The sources, who preferred to remain unnamed, said that if this rocket was launched at a target, it could obliterate an entire city and kill all of its inhabitants even if those numbered by the tens of thousands. … The same sources added that increasing the range of the rocket is not a complex process and can be done inside Iraq and clarified that the discovery of this strategic rocket in Basra poses a threat to security in Iraq and the Middle East. The sources expressed fear that large numbers of this rocket might have entered Iraq with crews to launch them. If that happens then we’d be on the brink of a domestic and regional security crisis.
The exclusivity of the first statement and the anonymity of the “intelligence sources” that provided the second indicate that the message is selective in choosing the target audience: primarily the Iranian government and, as an inevitable byproduct, the Iraqi public. Iraqi government officials seem to have exaggerated the material significance of the finding on purpose. They also realize that Western journalists and readers are very unlikely to buy these exaggerated statements — that’s irrelevant anyway since this is a conversation meant to be between only Baghdad and Tehran.
The minister of defense is of course no idiot when it comes to weapons and their uses and specifications. He knows that bigger rockets have occasionally been found or destroyed. He served in the former and new army and his old colleagues, including the ITM father, testify to his professionalism and knowledge. It is timing and attitude in Baghdad that decided the sudden intensification of the tone, not the caliber of the rockets.
I think the government in Baghdad is trying to say the following to its Iranian counterpart:
- The provision of small arms is one thing but the provision of heavy weapons that can cause panic and much more destruction is another.
- If we can accept that machine guns, RPGs, and mortars can be smuggled into Iraq without the Iranian government’s knowledge, we can’t accept the same claim when it comes to weapons of this magnitude.
- We know and you know that you’re providing these weapons and we can’t remain silent anymore. At the same time neither of us is going anywhere anytime soon, so we must learn to coexist. You don’t want us to be your enemies and we can’t afford to make you ours at the moment, so knock it off and let’s not show the world the dirty laundry.
The message is quite clear and simple. Baghdad sent a delegation last week to ask Iran to stop the flow of weapons and support to Shia militias. When the delegation returned empty-handed, the government immediately announced through spokesman Ali Dabbagh that it will work to collect and display evidence of this support. A day later the conversation escalated with the above statements. The question is: is Iran going to respond reasonably or is it going to keep denying its involvement in the crime? And if it does, I wonder what the next escalation in the conversation is going to look like.
Omar Fadhil is PJM Baghdad editor. His own blog is Iraq The Model.
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29 Comments
J.J. Sefton:Wouldn’t put it past the nutty mullahs (Maynard Krebs Amadinejad is a mouthpiece) to actually launch and incursion into Iraq. Wouldn’t that just curl your nose hairs.
May 8, 2008 - 10:51 am GM Roper:All I can say is that the Democrats say that Iran can be reasoned with, that they are not engaged in active hostilities so that rocket (and other munitions) must be a figment of the Iraqi government’s imagination. Nothing else can explain this can it?
May 8, 2008 - 10:59 am RES:According to this morning’s WaPo Ahmadinejad has said he believes the 12th Imam is back and leading Iran:
Ahmadinejad Criticized for Saying Long-Ago Imam Mahdi Leads Iran
By Thomas Erdbrink, Page A13
TEHRAN, May 7 — Several leading Iranian clerics criticized President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday for saying that the last imam of Shiite Islam, a messianic figure who Shiites believe was hidden by God 1,140 years ago, leads modern-day Iran.
[ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/07/AR2008050703587.html ]
SO you tell me how rational can that nation be expected to be?
May 8, 2008 - 11:19 am Dave:So Baghdad sent a delegation to Iran that returned “empty-handed”, but Obama thinks going over there to talk with Mad Amad after he is President will reap some kind of benefit (other than a political coup for Iran).
As always, the naivite of the left is astounding, or appalling…take your pick.
May 8, 2008 - 12:11 pm John Samford:Res, the Dems are working to see that Ahamadamnutjob and the mad dog mullahs get nukes. Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? It makes me want to start a pool on which US City gets nuked first.
May 8, 2008 - 4:29 pm Zelsdorf Ragshaft III:On a positive note, if it’s New York or D.C. that gets nuked, it would actually be a boon to America.
The American Left needs to understand that since they are the ones protecting Iran from the US Military, they will be held responsible for any actions taken by the Mad Dog Mullahs.
Those that pushed so hard for the release of suicide bombers from gitmo should be charged with terrorism and murder now that the released bombers are going back into action.
Send Tehran a picture of the detonation of Mike, superimposed on the Iranian city of their choice. (Mike was the first thermonuclear detonation with a fireball approx. 5 mi. across)
May 8, 2008 - 5:17 pm RichrdC:Iran is the absolute enemy that we and the Iraqis need to ultimately deal with. If it means an actual land war, then so be it, dammit. The Iraqi/Iranian war was about who was ultimately going to control and have the oil. It is about oil, and our absolute need for it. If Iran had absolute influence and control over the Middle East because they get away with building the atomic bomb and we run away with our tails between our legs, we will ultimately be dooming our children and their children of having to live in a time when we have a huge contraction of our economy and our way of living because the Islamic fanatics will cut off our oil supply. The fanatics HATE OUR WAY OF LIFE, period. I beleive we will need one day, to attack Iran and having our Democratic Iraqi friends with us will ensure that good prevails over the totalitarian religious fanatic. Our purchase of oil and our way of life will not be mortally threatened. Our wonderful Democrats/Socialist seem to be acting as allies for the Iranians. Do they not see what will happen if Iran’s main enemies, the U.S. and Iraq are not up to this fight? Do they all have retirement homes out in the suburbs of Tehran? They are a sad example of an American and I am embarrassed by them…
May 8, 2008 - 5:48 pm Trokk:Why the hell can’t we do a brief but massive set of air/naval strikes on Iran’s airforce and Navy? It would set their military back a decade, yet still not kill any civilians and few Iranian soldiers?
We did some of this in 1988 - Operation Praying Mantis. Why not do it again? Why not?
Iran is in no position to ‘ramp up’ their meddling in Iraq beyond what it is now. Why not smash billions of dollars worth of their military hardware?
May 8, 2008 - 5:52 pm section9:No. The Iranians must be made to make the first overt hostile act against an Arab state. Indeed, they have prepared for an attack from the West. What they have not prepared for is a hasty Iranian offensive into Iraq. That is what they must be made to do; they must be seen to invade the Arab homelands to rally the Arab League against them and divide the Islamic Conference.
Any American attack against Iran will be seen as an act of agression by the Crusader by the Muslims. The Persians are counting on this. But if they gamble that a strike to the West will be met by a popular uprising in their favor, as the North Vietnamese did in 1968, then they could risk everything on an invasion.
Remember, Saddam invaded Iran first. Iran had historic grievance on its side. This time, their fanaticism must be allowed to work itself to its logical conclusion: the Ayatollahs must overreach. Only then will they find a unified Arab state fighting against them.
Fantatics in the end believe their own propaganda. It is the nature of the beast. The Iranians are no different.
May 8, 2008 - 6:11 pm EntropyIncreases:John Samford,
our intelligence services, military and the rest of the executive branch are all tasked with protecting all Americans. Even short-sighted ones. It would be a tragedy if/when any American city gets hit with a WMD. I would gladly sacrifice my life to prevent it.
I think you might have been joking, but joking about the deaths of millions is peurile.
May 8, 2008 - 6:20 pm Tom W.:“Any American attack against Iran will be seen as an act of aggression by the Crusader by the Muslims.”
I disagree.
Israel–ISRAEL–blew up a Syrian nuke factory, and there wasn’t a peep out of the Muslim world.
The Sunni Arab states recognize Iran as the threat it is. Most of the Muslim world recognizes that Iran is funding terrorism that kills tens of thousands of Muslims.
If the U.S. uses air power to destroy Iran’s offensive military capabilities, the Muslim world will for the most part remain silent.
May 8, 2008 - 6:52 pm Ciscokid:Mullah’s and Ahmajinidad must be defeated in Iran. There’s many true Iranian’s (Persians) who are fighting right now, against the rule of the mullah’s. They need our help to recognize their efforts, via the media or any other source, bringing attention to their struggle to be free of these dictators. True Persian, peace loving people of Iran are proud of their heritage, seek better relations with the west and should not to be feared. Video’s on youtube, documenting student protest against the mullah’s seems to be the only way they’re getting their message out. They’re more than willing to comment and debate on the state of affairs in Iran. What better way to understand the situation going on in Iran, then to learn from the people themselves. War is not necessary to defeat the mullah’s. By showing a strong unity and support from the west is all they’re asking for. Former president Jimmy Carter and his administration wrecked them (just ask them) so we’re partly responsible for their plight. Ask the Persian’s who they see as the best American presidential candidate. We owe it to them for our help in trying to avoid a war.
Note to anyone reading comment’s on the video’s. Don’t freak out when they refer to themselves as the true Aryans. Historically they are but not the same as you know who.
May 8, 2008 - 6:57 pm Doc99:The Fleet positions itself for war.
http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2008/05/fleet-positions-itself-for-war.html
“Let him who desires peace prepare for war.”
May 8, 2008 - 7:02 pm Kerry:Publius Flavius Vegetius
A 200mm rocket, or eight inchs, is not a strategic rocket or missile. Not even an intermediate weapon. It is a tactical weapon.
Probably a 230mm Oghab with a 70 kg warhead and 45 km range.
Bigger than any militia should have, but not a strategic weapon by definition. But the Iraqi’s do need to draw a line on this.
May 8, 2008 - 7:23 pm Bill W:Not sure what the big deal is about one rocket, when we have hundreds of them, plus captured Iranians in Southern Iraq, plus dozens of Shia militia captured that were trained in Iran, …. and that is just the area the General Lynch is involved with. I think we have plenty to draw a line with.
May 8, 2008 - 7:55 pm Justin:@ EntropyIncreases
I am not so sure it is that cut and dried. I sincerely hope that a nuke never goes off, but if one does in a liberal stronghold, it might reshape the way some Democrats view the poor outside world which is infinitely superior to the US in every way. The Democrats are a worse threat to the United States than Al Queda are, more than the Soviet Union was. They are the ready made traitors within. When someone wishes to hurt the US they automatically support them and consider anyone who tries to make them think about what they are doing as fear mongerers. They have no concept of being in danger from anyone but the US which they have been raised to believe is the source of all evil. They have the luxury of doing so because us horrible conservatives have fought long and hard to keep evil away from our country and to phase it out of the world, thus these children have no concept of real danger because those of us whom they hate have kept it at bay from them. If someone can break their protective barriers it will help them grow up. They need to have their utterly false view of the world ripped from their eyes. Otherwise, even if Muslim terrorism is defeated, they will simply wait for the next enemy to show up to throw their lot with. Eventually America could fall, and if it does it will be because of the left.
May 8, 2008 - 8:24 pm Trokk:I don’t think waiting to escalate is doing us any good. Right now, Iran spends $1 to cause us $100 or $1000 of damage or other money wastage.
We need to get that spending war closer to 1:1, in which they are no match for the US (our economy is 70 times the size of theirs). Even better, if we repeat 1988s Operation Praying Mantis, we set their military back a decade by sinking their navy and wrecking their airplanes before they even take off, at little cost to us. Almost no casualties = the ‘world community’ forgets about it after a few days.
Right now, they spend $1 to cost us $1000. Classic asymmetrical warfare that is working against us. We must make the war MONETARILY costly to them. That way we win without actually killing Iranian civilians or foot soldiers.
May 8, 2008 - 10:47 pm Corey Wayne:From what I have been reading today on other sites by analyzing what are Navy is currently doing… September is the month we launch an attack on Iran.
The Iranians are not going to stop. They will escalate and escalate. They could still back down, but their actions and the crazy beliefs of their apocalyptic president say otherwise.
If Iran gets the bomb, they WILL use it. Again today the president of Iran called for the destruction of Israel.
30,000 troops and we can topple the regime and avoid all the mistakes we made in Iraq by dissolving the Iraqi Military and police forces.
The next 12 months are going to be interesting.
May 9, 2008 - 12:10 am Sam:It’s time to shut the Iranians down now and we simply have to bite the bullet and do it.
May 9, 2008 - 1:48 am Ardeshir Dolat:In response to some comments here.
The Mullahs are not likely to use their nuclear bomb - when they get them- on Israel: they want that country to be occupied by the Muslims. It makes no sense that they will use the nuke bomb to destroy Israel. However, they will use it on Europe and America without any hesitations. The threat of detonating a nuclear bomb in Europe will work like magic for the Mullahs. It is no deterrence to let the mullahs know any attack on Europe will mean total and complete destruction of the Persian cat. However, the threat of Islamist detonating a nuclear bomb say in London or Paris is far more effective than the deterrence effect of total destruction of Iran. This would mean the Mullahs will get what they want. So nuclear bomb for the Mullahs equals liberation of ‘Palestine’ and destruction of Israel as a state. This is what they are talking about when they say Israel must be annihilated.
I can see the future of politics like this if the liberals of the west win their ways and let the Mullahs obtain their nuclear bombs. some examples:
- The terrorist attacks on the western and Israelis will intensify.
- The demands of the Mullahs that Israelis should be transfered to either Europe or America will be a reality that western politicians will have to sit down and consider rather than laugh at as they are now.
- Sharia laws should be allowed to be practiced by the Muslims in western world as they will be the laws of land in all the Muslim countries.
- and many more horrible ideas that we are merely laughing at right now.
The Mullahs will continue their proxy wars with America and Israel for as long as they are in power even when they get their nuke bomb. The question is how long can the international community carry on fighting terrorists that have a seemingly endless resources to finance and support themselves? Are we going to wait until all Iranian oils and gases run out? That will be a good thirty or more years!
The Mullahs will not directly invade another country. It is far too stupid and counter to their policies and they haven’t got the means at the moment and probably never will. However they will train terrorists to first procure their cause through mosques around the world and at the same time destroy American and Western interests and influences around the globe. What the west must concern itself with is how to destroy the Mullahs - the procurers of pre-medieval ideology and values. Sanctions won’t do any harm to the Mullahs. It is the Iranian people who are suffering as the result of sanctions. The Mullahs do not hold themselves accountable to the Iranian people: they are Islamists who will sacrifice everything including shedding Iranian people’s blood to advance the rule of Islam. I know It is hard for a westerner to comprehend that anyone could hold such stupid ideology. It is as simple as that my friend. These people are simple and stupid. They read stupid books and there are thousands of them. You go into a Mullahs house and you see bookshelves full of books you wouldn’t even be able to sell in a car boot sale. Hence, they are very articulate. They can talk for hours but they are full of stuff that make no sense at all. They are in a world that is unreal and detached from commonsense, reason and reality.
If the West is hoping that Iranians will say enough is enough and rise up against the regime, the West is making a grave mistake. The Iranians have been far more politically active and against the regime than any time in their history. But they will not succeed against these barbarians who have absolutely zero respect for life.
All that the regime needs is the know-how to build its WMD, which isn’t very hard to get these days. The material they need they are buying from Chinese or the Russians or N.Koreans. So time is running out for the west to take serious actions on the Mullahs of Tehran.
The only option for the west is to destroy the mullahs and their backward ideology. Attacking Iranian infrastructure hoping that will teach the Mullahs a lesson or two will only delay their getting nuclear bombs and the terrorism will intensify with more innocent people getting hurt.
The international community will discover the only solution is to actually take these barbarians out, as so long as they exist their terrorism will continue.
To eradicate pests you don’t destroy their nests: they will move and nest somewhere else.
May 9, 2008 - 5:25 am Brian H:Kerry;
“The Falaq-1 is a 240 mm-diameter rocket with a maximum range of 10 km. It weights 111 kg and carries a 50 kg explosive warhead.”
As for Iran, it’s already all-in. Its economy is a shambles, infrastructure mostly decayed and in need of decades of very competent rehab, and the mullahs are not ‘nationalists’, but globalist fanatics. Iran is incidental as a nation to their aims.
Git ‘em! ASAP!
May 9, 2008 - 1:40 pm gnubi:I really don’t see a problem. The Iranians already provided the delivery systems so it won’t cost a dime to send all their rockets back to them. You just have to think out of the box sometimes.
May 9, 2008 - 4:41 pm eclectic:j.j. sefton: You do Maynard G. Krebs a diservice using him to discribe a deluded fanatic with his name.
May 9, 2008 - 6:59 pm Ira Zad:Go after the regime top leadership by assassinations; give the mullahs a taste of their own exported medicine by sabotaging and destroying their centers of power: start commando asymmetric war against the Tehran regime in all major cities destroying regime centers of power; provide total and complete logistics, material, weapons, training, and political support for secular democratic forces of inside and outside Iran, i.e., officially declare a policy of regime change in Iran and aquire other countries support in that as well; etc.
These are just some of the ways we can get rid of the mullah regime once and for all in Iran.
The Iranian people en masse despise this regime and are ready to throw it to the trash heap of history. Help them help us.
May 9, 2008 - 10:27 pm