Okay folks, this one's simple: Among Shia in Iraq, the U.S. backs the same folks as the Iranians do: The Da'wa Party and the Supreme Islamic Council.
The Shi'ites who are fighting our guys are nationalists, down with the Sunni Arab nationalists (to some degree) and opposed to Iran.
Well Michael R. Gordon of the New York Times keeps pushing - while providing no evidence - the Vice-President's propaganda line that the new, improved EFP bombs must be coming from Iran.
For those who listen to Antiwar Radio, you know I refute this lie every single day, citing CSM and Reuters' reports that an EFP factory was found in Iraq in April by troops during "Operation Black Eagle," according to Army Spokesman Lt. Col Scott Bleichwehl.
Journalist Gareth Porter, whom I often interview, has written extensively on this matter.
Andrew Cockburn took an axe to their lies in this one for the Los Angeles Times back in February, this NBC News story and this Wired article, also from February, cast much doubt as to the alleged Iranian origin of the bombs, this New York Times story by Allisa J. Rubin discusses the discovery of an EFP factory in Iraq (Shhhh! Don't tell whoever is in charge of editing Michael R. Gordon's work!) and even the Wall Street Journal has told the truth about these lies.
And so why is this such a big deal?
Well, because Dick Cheney is trying to start a war with Iran and since the president has admitted that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program, the War Party has had to switch gears. Now the excuse for bombing Iran is that they are bombing our guys in Iraq.
The proof? Well it's right there - even - in the New York Times.


There is a crisis in Iraq… WOW! Imagine that. There has been a crisis in Iraq ever since Bush and his nerdcon buddies decided to invade it and thought that it would be a “cakewalk”. Now the wheels are falling off the bus and there is trouble in River City… Bush is a total asshole and only the corporate media spin machine stands between him and the general public, preventing his impeachment, lynching or worse…
On another weapons issue: The Italians just busted up a large arms shipment to Iraq… I bet if they dug deep enough they would come across the names of Perle, Feith and the rest of the Edmond’s affair players. Not that they were the perpetrators of this deal but that they tipped off the Italians in order to eliminate their competition… As Mace has said: “Waxman will not touch this with a 40′ pole”.
[...] Clark Contact the Webmaster Link to Article dick cheney EFPs are Made in Iraq by Iraqis, Those Who Blame Iran are Liars » [...]
…This present, Representative Democracy in which we live, has now degenerated to the point wherein its Constitution is become at best an abstraction, and at worst—Defunct. To my mind this is particularly dangerous in terms of Foreign Policy—Whereupon the Legislature has permitted organized persuasion, and consensus by Unitary and Political Interests. In so doing The Executive Branch can now virtually employ any, and every pretext that it sees fit in order to use Military Force abroad…and, in the “Homeland.” Public Policy as a rationale amounts to a criminal synthesis of disinformation, misinformation, half truths, concealment, outright lies, equivocation, distraction, projection, procrastination, delay—Even cheap attempts at Comedy. All cleft by the name Propaganda. This while Private/Secret Policy amounts to the furtherance of what has now coming to be termed as an Empire—Complete with Secret and newly empowered Intelligence and Security apparatus to ensure its continued Dominion through the repression of internal dissent…Dissent such as this example I offer you now—In summary? Somebody far more influential than I, some self styled “Champion of Liberty” in a $5000.00 suit had better, wake, up and observe the opportunity to become a hero…As if left unchecked, these burgeoning Police and Espionage powers now assumed by the State as The New Leviathan. Will swallow what remains of a once sacrosanct and uniquely American concept. The personal autonomy of reason, and resulting actions supposedly guaranteed us by The Constitution…Go figure, because time is running out.
[...] then read his EFPs are Made in Iraq by Iraqis, Those Who Blame Iran are Liars what a tangled web they [...]
It’s so sad that as an “alternative” to idiots like Bush and Cheney, we have warmongers on the Democratic side like Joseph Biden, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.
I would still vote for Barack Obama, but I will absolutely not vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton if she’s nominated– and I’ve been voting for Democrats for 30 years. Not only is she adamantly pro-war, and one of the major authors of the Iraq War in the first place, but she’s also a repugnantly pro-corporate candidate, in favor of massive outsourcing and other policies that are trashing the most basic rights of American workers.
I’m hoping that someone more reliably antiwar like Mike Gravel or even Dennis Kucinich runs as an Independent on a Third Party ticket. In fact, I’ve come to respect Mike Gravel so much, I’m signing on to a budding “Draft Gravel” campaign that’s picking up steam, to write him in and encourage him to run as a Third Party candidate. Anyone else who wants to join in, let’s all work to drafting Mike Gravel as an independent. His is a voice that we definitely need.
Also the NY Times prefers to play dumb:
“In disingeniously dismissing criticism of Michael Gordon’s article, Clark Hoyt, the NY Times Public Editor claims that Gordon’s previous article had already provided “strong evidence” of the Iranian origin of the EFPs… but the New York Times itself reported the discovery of EFP factories in Iraq back in April 7…”
Iran Affairs
…Well Haas, just what would you expect the New York Times to do after catching them in yet another prevarication? Tell you truth? Turned out to be come fuckin’ “Cakewalk” didn’t it?
[...] But we knew this already. What Petraeus was going to say has been telegraphed for weeks now. Which makes me think he just might just try to make some actual news during his testimony and drop a bombshell in the form of some new lie that Iran is doing dastardly deeds to U.S. forces in Iraq — a lie far more dramatic than the ones thus far. [...]