http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/secure/2011/06_15/1.asp
Iraq's tolerance for Iran infiltration signals weak security policy WASHINGTON - Iraq, despite nearly a decade of U.S. military support, has been unable to stop infiltration from Iran, a report said. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy asserted that Iranians were easily crossing the border into Iraq despite the huge expansion of Baghdad's military and security forces. In a report, the institute said the Shi'ite-based government in Baghdad appeared to have a high tolerance for Iranian infiltration, particularly in the south. "The level of continuity in Iranian cross-border operations since the 1980s is uncanny," the report, titled "The Iraqi Security Forces: Local Context and U.S. Assistance," said. "Although the Iraqi government is well aware of such violations, the lack of reliability and capacity among its border forces prevents effective control." The report, authored by Michael Knights, said Iraqi security forces have avoided much of the border with Iran. He said Iraqi border units were denied a mandate to help reduce Teheran's growing influence in much of Iraq. "Certain border areas in Maysan and Wasit provinces already receive electricity and clean water from Iran, and many Iraqi border guards make regular visits to family members living in Iran," the report said. "These factors underline the complicated nature of security issues on the border, where Iranian infiltration is not limited to criminal or militant activity but also encompasses the full gamut of political and economic tools." The report said Iran's military remained the most serious threat to Iraq and unchallenged by the Baghdad government. Iran has seized an oil well in Maysan province and regularly fires artillery against targets in Iraq, particularly in the autonomous Kurdistan region. "Such incursions may recommence in central and southern Iraq if U.S. combat air patrol forces leave the country at the end of 2011 as planned," the report said. The report warned of a security decline after the U.S. military withdrawal. Knights asserted that the Iraqi military and police regard Iranian incursions, particularly along their littoral border, as a diplomatic issue. "Thus, even if ISF units were operating at a high level of capability and could resist tribal, criminal, and foreign interference, they would still be hesitant to fully enforce the border with Iran due to the lack of a clear foreign policy and security strategy on that front," the report said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
