US accuses Iranian agents of aiding Sunni extremists

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Published: Wednesday April 11, 2007

The US military for the first time publicly accused Iranian intelligence agents on Wednesday of supporting Sunni extremist groups in Iraq and not just Shiite militiamen.

"We do have now some information that Iranian intelligence agencies have supported some Sunni extremist groups," US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell told reporters in Baghdad.

He charged that Iranian intelligence agencies were continuing to give training to armed Iraqi groups. "This training is provided by surrogates of (Iranian) intelligence services," Caldwell said.

The US military also displayed a large cache of explosives, which it said were newly made Iranian devices found in a black Mercedes in Baghdad.

Tehran denies arming any Iraqi groups.

Washington has regularly accused arch foe Iran of training and funding Shiite militias in the sectarian Sunni-Shiite conflict in Iraq that has killed tens of thousands of people since the US-led invasion four years ago.