Maliki: Iran, Syria are arming Iraqi terror groups

In 2009, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Malik accused both Iran and Syria of arming terror groups operating inside Iraq. Now AFP has the story, via the Wikileaks cables:

Maliki’s comments to then-US ambassador to Baghdad Christopher Hill came in the midst of a year-long diplomatic row with Damascus that prompted both Iraq and Syria to withdraw their respective ambassadors, while US officials have long alleged that Iran backs militia groups operating inside Iraq.

“Iran and Syria have both been providing weapons — including “Strela” (SA-7B) shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles — to insurgent groups within Iraq,” Maliki told Hill in a September 22, 2009 meeting, read the cable published on Wednesday by whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

“Five members of the Sadrist-affiliated Promise Day Brigade (also linked to the Iranian al-Quds force) were captured recently attempting to smuggle such missiles in the false floor of a Toyota Land Cruiser, Maliki alleged.”

The Promise Day Brigade is Muqtada al Sadr’s force that replaced the Mahdi Army. Sadr himself recently fled Iraq after receiving threats from the Asaib al Haq, a rival Shia terror group that was formerly part of the Mahdi Army. You can read more about the Promise Day Brigade and the other two major terror groups supported by Iran, Hezbollah Brigades and Asaib al Haq, here.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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