50 Suspects Arrested in Iraq; Syrian and Iranian Intelligence Among Arrested

- Associated Press

NAJAF, Iraq - Thousands of mourners attended funerals Monday and Iraqi authorities detained 50 suspects in connection with an explosion in the Shiite holy city of Najaf that killed at least 54 people and wounded 142.

[snip]

Najaf's police chief said that among them were people with links to the two neighboring countries.

"The police arrested some elements who confessed that they have links with the Syrian intelligence ... and a person who confessed he had links with Iranian intelligence since 1995," al-Jazaari said.

The suspects' ties to Syria and Iran should come to no surprise based upon both countries' efforts and goals in the region, however it is interesting to note Iraq has arrested government workers for both Syria and Iran. Last week Iraqi Defense Minister Hazem Shaalam called Iran Iraq's "number one enemy."

Iran has contributed greatly to the instability within Iraq in hopes of stopping the start of Democracy that could eventually cause the people of Iran to rise up against the Mullahs. Syria fears Democracy in Iraq for much of the same reason. In fact, the same could be said about Saudi Arabia, however intelligence agencts from only Syria and Iran have now been found in Iraq and are suspected of either participating in or organizing a bombing that killed and injured 176 innocent Iraqis.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 10:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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