Informed Comment

Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion

Juan Cole is President of the Global Americana Institute

Friday, October 24, 2003

British representative in Iraq Jeremy Greenstock complained Thursday about Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq. He warned Iran to cease using them to interfere. He named the Badr Corps of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iran as "harmful" and as posing a threat to Coalition troops. SCIRI had announced that the Badr Corps would be turned into a reconstruction force, but some remain armed. SCIRI is supposedly an ally of the Coalition and has a seat on the Interim Governing Council. Its leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim recently went to Iran for consultations with governmental figures there, including hardline leader Ali Khamenei. Iran is said to be giving money to several political forces in Iraq, including not only religious parties but also the secular expatriate leader Ahmad Chalabi.

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