The American Spectator

AmSpecBlog

The Iranian Hand in Iraq

By Ilan Berman on 12.21.07 @ 10:14AM

In recent weeks, a number of pundits have pointed to the improving security situation in Iraq as proof positive that Iran has begun scaling back its destabilizing influence in the former Ba'athist state. But is Iran really behaving better? The answer, according to the U.S. military, is "not so much." "There has been no identified decrease in Iranian training and funding of illegal Shi'a militias in Iraq," a new Pentagon report to Congress maintains. "Tehran's support for Shi'a militant groups who attack Coalition and Iraq forces remains a significant impediment to progress towards stabilization."

The full report can be found here. It provides a good measure of our recent successes in Iraq -- as well as the considerable distance that we have left to travel.

topics:
Military, Iraq, Iran