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Iran Said to Be Plotting Iraq Offensive

Makes new allies to increase violence, prompt withdrawal

By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff

Posted May 22, 2007 8:19 AM CDT

(Newser) – Iran is secretly allying with al-Qaeda and Sunni insurgents to launch a major summer offensive against the US in Iraq, reports the Guardian. The goal is  to trigger a political mutiny in Congress to force a withdrawal of US troops. Iran had previously been linked to Shia militias but had not collaborated with Sunnis.

The switch in tactics, US officials tell the Guardian, comes as Tehran steps up contacts across the board to put pressure on the Americans. "They're betting on all the horses in the race, even on people they fundamentally don't trust," says a senior administration official in Washington.

An Iraqi shia gunman checks the road in Basra city Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad on Monday , May 21, 2007. Violence  hit the southern city of Basra, with gunmen killing one police officer and wounding another in an attack on their patrol, police said. (AP...
An Iraqi shia gunman checks the road in Basra city Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad on Monday , May 21, 2007. Violence hit the southern city of Basra, with...   (Associated Press)
An Iraqi man is seen in front of a blazing fuel truck  in Basra Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad on Monday , May 21, 2007. Violence  hit the southern city of Basra, with gunmen killing one police officer and wounding another in an attack on their...
An Iraqi man is seen in front of a blazing fuel truck in Basra Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad on Monday , May 21, 2007. Violence hit the southern city of...   (Associated Press)
A man pushes a woman and a child on a cart past the scene of previous days car bomb attack that killed least 127 people and injured 148 at the Sadriyah market in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, April 19, 2007. Suspected Sunni insurgents penetrated the Baghdad security net, hitting Shiite targets...
A man pushes a woman and a child on a cart past the scene of previous days car bomb attack that killed least 127 people and injured 148 at the Sadriyah market in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, April 19, 2007....   (Associated Press)
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