BAGHDAD — Iran seems to be honoring a commitment to stem the flow of deadly weapons into Iraq, contributing to a more than 50 percent drop in the number of roadside bombs that kill and maim American troops, a U.S. general said Thursday.
The comments by Maj. Gen. James Simmons marked rare U.S. praise for Iranian cooperation in efforts to stabilize Iraq. Washington has repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of aiding Shiite militias and trying to foil U.S. goals in Iraq and the region.
But it remains unclear why Iran may have decided to choke off the suspected weapons pipeline. One possibility is that Iran – the most populous Shiite nation – is seeking to shore up the struggling government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, in the belief it will help Tehran’s long-term interests.
Simmons, a deputy commander of Multinational Corps-Iraq, told reporters that the number of roadside bombs either found or exploded nationwide had fallen from 3,239 in March to 1,560 last month.
The October figure was the lowest since September 2005, he said.
Simmons said the decline included all types of roadside bombs, including highly lethal “explosively formed penetrators” – the signature weapon of Shiite extremists – which can hurl a fist-sized chunk of molten copper through the heaviest armor on U.S. vehicles.
U.S. authorities insist penetrator bombs come from Iran, despite Iranian denials.
Last week, the Americans freed nine Iranians detained in Iraq for months on suspicion of smuggling weapons to Iraqi Shiite groups. The release was seen as a possible response to Iran’s move to curb weapons shipments.
Nevertheless, Shiite militants remain a major threat to U.S. forces in the Baghdad area, despite recent improvements in security in the capital.
Shiite extremists were believed responsible for a deadly attack Wednesday against a U.S. Stryker vehicle, which was hit by what Simmons called “an array” of penetrator bombs near an entrance to the Green Zone.
One American soldier was killed and five were wounded, the military said. Iraqi police said two Iraqi civilians also were killed. It was the first major attack against a U.S. military vehicle in that area in at least four months, Simmons said.
Thursday, the U.S. military said a U.S. soldier had been killed a day earlier in an explosion in Diyala province that wounded four other soldiers. At least 3,865 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003.
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Diplomats’ “draft” may be called off
WASHINGTON — The State Department is backing down for now from forcing diplomats to serve in Iraq this summer because enough have volunteered to work in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and in outlying provinces, officials said Thursday.
Three foreign service officers who signed up for the last of the 48 vacancies have won tentative approval. Once personnel panels give a formal OK, the department will announce it will not need to enforce a plan for the forced assignments, the officials said Thursday.
That word could come as early as today, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced.
But the policy of “directed assignments” could go back into force if the current crop of volunteers does not pan out, department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
Fraud investigator gives up additional authority
WASHINGTON — The State Department’s embattled top fraud investigator, who recused himself from probes into Blackwater Worldwide security contractors over conflict of interest charges, has relinquished even more authority but remains at his post, officials said Thursday.
In addition to removing himself from all queries related to Blackwater, Inspector General Howard Krongard has given up his role in looking into corruption allegations involving the construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The move came at the request of a congressional oversight committee chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., which Krongard testified before a day earlier. During the hearing he learned, apparently for the first time, that his brother is a member of Blackwater’s advisory board.
Krongard continues as the inspector general, McCormack told reporters. He refused to say if the inspector general still had the confidence of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or others.
