Iraq-Style Bomb Found In Afghanistan

Iraq-Style Bomb Found In Afghanistan

www.cbsnews.com

(AP) A powerful and sophisticated type of roadside bomb prevalent in Iraq but not seen before in Afghanistan was discovered near a university in Kabul last week, prompting a rare countrywide warning to NATO and Afghan troops.

The bomb, known as an EFP, or explosively formed projectile, was notable for its level of sophistication and similarity to those seen in Iraq, said Maj. John Thomas,...

(visit the link for the full news article)

Interesting that a sophisticated explosive device that according to the report requires machining, and made to strict or certain specifications, and has only been found in Iraq, now is discovered in Afghanistan.

While many in the government and military have stressed that there is a connection between Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and in Iraq, this could be something that may be used to make that connection more clear.

Or the more likely, possible allegations of Iran supplying these EFPs.

According to the report these are the most feared EFPs among U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and have been known to have injured and killed hundreds of U.S. soldiers, most deadly because these EFPs are armor-piercing.

The ultimate questions, who is making these sophisticated EFPs, where, and how are they being supplied to the enemies, now both in Iraq, and Afghanistan?

www.cbsnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 2-6-2007 by UM_Gazz]

An interesting news item from last month which could show that these EFP's are being supplied by Iran:

On Sunday, a U.S. general also said powerful armor-penetrating roadside bombs believed to be of Iranian origin were turning up in the hands of Sunni insurgents south of Baghdad.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of the Army's Task Force Marne, said the presence of “explosively formed penetrators,” or EFPs, in Sunni weapons caches suggests some degree of Iranian influence among Sunni as well as Shiite extremists.

Source Full Article Link

Yet Iran is primarily Shi'ite, why would these EFPs be showing up in the hands of Sunnis?

And this report shows denials from Iran:

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran on Monday rejected U.S. accusations that the highest levels of Iranian leadership have armed Shiite militants in Iraq with armor-piercing roadside bombs.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a televised interview that his country was opposed to conflict and bloodshed in Iraq and that problems in Iraq should be solved with dialogue, not by force.

Source Full Article Link

And now we have one of these suspect EFPs show up in Afghanistan.

Curiouser and curiouser.

More info on EFPs here:

Wikipedia.org Article Link

[edit on 2-6-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Now that's quite interesting.

First in Iraq, then in Afghanistan..
now who's inbetween those two countries?

Could it be a small portion of Iranian Sunnis
who promote/support the insurgency?

So far it seems they don't know who
exactly had them in Afghanistan.

Iran or al Qaeda elements in Iraq or Pakistan were all possibilities.

lesser-quality EFPs were found in Herat, near the Iran border, in April.

Sounds like more evidence (true or not)
that elements in Iran are actively supporting
the insurgency in both countries.

Let's see how the MSM takes this..
The more stories like these that come out,
the better case the Administration has to strike Iran.

The plot thickens.

Where is the proof these weapons are being made in, or supplied by Iran?

I remember seeing an article a few months back where a US patrol in Iraq had found a bomb factory where the EFP's were being manufactured. The story appeared, Reuters I think, then was quickly pulled / altered in favour of the "these bombs come from Iran" line.
Some of these folks in the border region are extremely adept when it comes to weapons making and improvisation so may well be able to make the bombs themselves.

I would submit to you, that the lack of evidence provided that these are being made and supplied to the enemies by Iranians, is, without clear substantiation, simply more "proof" that can be used to build a case for future possible strikes or invasion of Iran.

Also, with the level of relentless attacks and violence in Iraq, causing a loss of support for the war on terror in the U.S.A., it could be a way to blame it all, or a great deal of it on Iran.

But at some point a clear case with solid evidence needs to be made.

Indeed!

These drops in the bucket might turn into a deluge.
We'll hear more stories like this.

Originally posted by Britguy
I remember seeing an article a few months back where a US patrol in Iraq had found a bomb factory where the EFP's were being manufactured. The story appeared, Reuters I think, then was quickly pulled / altered in favour of the "these bombs come from Iran" line.

The WP pulled the first paragraph for a correction as well because the bombs were not being “manufactured” inside Iraq; rather components were being “assembled”.

The WSJ still has an article available concerning the find:

The most important find was a mound of 150 concave copper caps, the main ingredient in EFPs, they said. When EFPs detonate, the caps turn into molten balls that can pierce the armored shells of Humvees or other vehicles, killing or maiming the soldiers inside.
Capt. Combs said the copper caps were smooth and perfectly symmetrical, suggesting they had been made with a high degree of technical precision. He said he didn't know where the caps came from or whether they had been made in Iran. "That's the hard thing about this war," he said. WSJ

No blame was handed Iran and on its face, the discovered location merely looks like an outsourcing site assembling munitions with component parts coming from unknown sources.

Originally posted by UM_Gazz
Yet Iran is primarily Shi'ite, why would these EFPs be showing up in the hands of Sunnis?

Iran has an alliance with Syria…yes?---74% Sunni…Hmmm.



mg

What I find interesting is the source of this information. I mean im sure everything should be taken as its told every single time and military always tells the truth and all but would be nice to know how did they come to the conclusion of Iran being behind the naughty bombs in Iraq and Afganistan. I mean doesnt anyone find it "interesting" how everything bad thats happening is blamed on the next place they are planning to invade? Not to mention the fact that everyone is shocked at the reaction of people in the region after 2 countries has been invaded on some BS reason that have had little or no truth behind them?

Yeeehaaa, lets take over another country they are all just terrorists right?! Cant wait to see what happens when its "game over" and time to pay up the money theyve borrowed to self-implode the economy. Will you actually pay up or just do like the soviets did and make up a new country after USA drove their economy to the ground with the cold war? Now thats really a breaking news worthy of a discussion.

Originally posted by Gonjo
What I find interesting is the source of this information. I mean im sure everything should be taken as its told every single time and military always tells the truth and all but would be nice to know how did they come to the conclusion of Iran being behind the naughty bombs in Iraq and Afganistan. I mean doesnt anyone find it "interesting" how everything bad thats happening is blamed on the next place they are planning to invade? Not to mention the fact that everyone is shocked at the reaction of people in the region after 2 countries has been invaded on some BS reason that have had little or no truth behind them?

Yeeehaaa, lets take over another country they are all just terrorists right?! Cant wait to see what happens when its "game over" and time to pay up the money theyve borrowed to self-implode the economy. Will you actually pay up or just do like the soviets did and make up a new country after USA drove their economy to the ground with the cold war? Now thats really a breaking news worthy of a discussion.

Yes i agree someone should really check the back of those bombs for the 'Made In China' or 'Made In USA' marking.

It might be Iran - then again it might be not.

Or it might be something THEY want us to think it is.

Israeli officer sells weapons to terrorists in Iraq

Shmoel Avivi, an Israeli retired officer, had established a firm in Iraq 2 years ago, which secretly sold arms to terrorist groups in Iraq, Ma'ariv reported. Amnesty International reported that Avivi was one of the biggest weapon dealers in the Middle East.

Iraqi sources earlier announced that terrorist attacks in Iraq were backed by the intelligence agencies of CIA and Mossad and the secret agents of Iraqi former regime. Earlier, Iraqi parliament security commission chairman Hadi Ameri had accused the occupying soldiers of secretly directing the terrorist attacks and forming terror squads in Iraq.

Iraqi Death Squads: the nurturing hand of the US revealed

There are questions raised whether Avivi may have kept his intelligence links alive, as Iraqi sources have announced that terrorist attacks in Iraq are backed by the CIA and the Israeli Mossad - an allegation which may be specifically related to Avivi. Irrelevant of whether or not Avivi is still working for his "former employers", it is clear evidence that there is little need for Iran to sell weapons in Iraq.

Israeli, Swiss and UK firms and exports from Serbia & Montenegro

Talon’s owner is Major Shmuel Avivi, according to the Federation of Israeli Chambers of commerce website. An Israeli source described Shmuel Avivi as "former Israeli military attaché in Switzerland." Mr. Avivi declined to say whether he was currently a serving member of the Israeli defence forces.(509) Mr. Avivi appears to have served as Israel’s military attaché in Denmark and Sweden. The Israeli source stated that "He [Mr. Avivi] operated out of Switzerland with a Swiss business partner whose first name is Henri." Henri goes by the name of Heinrich in Switzerland where he is known as Mr. Heinrich Thomet, associated with at least two companies involved in arms dealing, Brugger & Thomet AG and BT International Ltd. Mr Heinrich Thomet stated that he worked together with Mr. Shmuel Avivi "occasionally" and that his company "are supplying Taos Industries on the US SOCOM business" but that his company was not "actually providing any services for Iraq or Afghanistan, we are mainly working on the US government contract which is a SOCOM transaction."

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

CIA, Mossad selling weapons to Iraqi insurgency?

Furthermore;

Iran’s IEDs: Made in America

In fact, the devices were made in America. “In late 1993 and early 1994, I went to America with officers from MI5, the FRU and RUC special branch. They had already sourced the transmitters and receivers in New York following liaison with their counterparts in the FBI,” Kevin Fulton, who infiltrated the IRA in the Newry area while being handled by the Force Research Unit, told the Sunday Tribune in June, 2002. Fulton’s trip was confirmed by the FBI, according to Matthew Teague, writing for the Atlantic. The Independent on Sunday “has also spoken to a republican who was a senior IRA member in the early 1990s. He confirmed that Mr. Fulton had introduced the IRA to the new technology and that the IRA shared this with ‘like-minded organizations abroad.’”

“Since its founding in 1997, the Real IRA has been fully infiltrated by British intelligence—MI5,” writes Paul Joseph Watson in his book, Order Out of Chaos. The “Real IRA,” or “True IRA,” consisted of “disaffected IRA members,” in other words, it was created by British intelligence as a way to discredit and demonize the Provisional IRA. “In June 2003 raids, Irish national police interdicted two large-scale vehicle-born improvised explosive devices, each weighing more than 1,000 lbs,” according to FAS.

So where DO this IED's come from?

Looks like the roots take us to MI5 too.

So we have CIA, Mossad and MI5/MI6 involved.

Oh yes - I forgot; it must be Iran.