Region | Syria
Fighters crossing border from Syria, says Pentagon
As much as 90 per cent of the foreign fighters in Iraq cross the border from Syria, according to a Pentagon report.
- AP
- Published: 00:48 March 13, 2008
Washington: Despite increased counterterrorism efforts by Damascus, as much as 90 per cent of the foreign fighters in Iraq cross the border from Syria, according to a Pentagon report that says Iran's support for Shiite militants also is hurting efforts to improve Iraq security.
As those external pressures dog coalition and Iraqi forces, the government of Iraq is also hamstrung by internal corruption and persistent problems getting basic services to the people, the report said.
The Defence Department's quarterly report on progress in Iraq, released Tuesday, said that militants continue to find safe havens and logistical support in Syria. The report covers events from December through February.
Devastating explosion
In late January, Iraqi officials suggested that about 150 foreign and Iraqi fighters slipped into the country from Syria a few months earlier and were responsible for a devastating explosion in northern Iraq that killed at least 38 people and wounded more than 200.
On the other border, meanwhile, Tehran's support for Shiite militant groups remains a sizable threat to stability in Iraq. The report asserts that the Quds Force, an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, still provides much of the explosives for the militants.
Several military commanders in recent weeks have said that despite recent promises by Tehran to help promote stability in Iraq, there is continued evidence that Iran is training and funding Shiite extremists.
During a recent visit to Iraq, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the allegations and said instead that the US presence there was the problem.
The Pentagon report reflects the ongoing decline in violence in Iraq, bolstered by last year's increase in US forces and the continuing growth of the Iraqi troops.
But while it specifically points to improved security conditions in Anbar Province, Baghdad and some surrounding areas, it also said Al Qaida remains strong in parts of the Tigris River Valley and in Ninewa Province.
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