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Mattis accuses Iran of ‘mucking around’ in Iraq’s elections

March 16, 2018
This US Department of Defense (DOD) photo obtained March 15, 2018 shows US Secretary of Defense James Mattis as he visits Bagram Airfield on March 14, 2018, to engage USFOR-A and coalition Resolute Support Mission service members on the current state of joint military affairs in Afghanistan. — AFP
This US Department of Defense (DOD) photo obtained March 15, 2018 shows US Secretary of Defense James Mattis as he visits Bagram Airfield on March 14, 2018, to engage USFOR-A and coalition Resolute Support Mission service members on the current state of joint military affairs in Afghanistan. — AFP

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday accused Iran of funneling money into Iraq to sway the outcome of its elections, calling it part of a broader pattern of destabilizing Iranian actions across the Middle East.

Mattis declined to say what outcome Iran is aiming for by allegedly interfering in Iraq, but he said Tehran is sending “not an insignificant amount of money” there to sway votes. He mentioned no dollar amounts.

Iran is widely seen as gaining more influence in Iraq during its period of instability following the takeover of much of northern and western Iraq by Daesh (the so-called IS) militants in 2014. Daesh militants have since been largely defeated, but Iraqi political stability still hangs in the balance.

“We have worrisome evidence that Iran is trying to influence — using money — the Iraqi elections,” Mattis told reporters flying with him to Washington from Bahrain, where he discussed Iran and other issues with senior government officials.

“That money is being used,” he said, “to sway candidates, to sway votes — not an insignificant amount of money, we believe, and it’s highly unhelpful.”

“We know that they are doing what they can to impact the elections, and we don’t like it.”

Iran’s political influence in Iraq has grown since the US invaded to remove President Saddam Hussein in 2003, marking the start of a prolonged period of sectarian division, extremist violence and political strife.

The US still has more than 5,000 troops in Iraq supporting its fight against remaining pockets of Daesh resistance. Iranian-backed Shiite militia groups also have fought Daesh, sometimes in coordination with Baghdad and sometimes not.

Mattis sharply criticized what he termed Iranian meddling elsewhere in the Middle East. He said Tehran is providing ammunition and explosives to fighters in Syria, and supporting rebels in Yemen.

He said the strait between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, off the coast of southern Yemen, is being used as a “proving ground” for advanced Iranian weaponry. This includes anti-ship missiles, radars, mines, ballistic missiles and explosive boats, he said.

On the other hand, Iran has stopped conducting what the US calls provocative and dangerous maneuvers against US Navy ships in the Arabian Gulf, Mattis said.

“It’s like an outlier, and I don’t know why,” he said. “They don’t seem to be engaging in the same provocative behavior” in the Gulf as they were prior to last summer.

Navy Cmdr. William Urban said earlier Thursday that there have been no “unsafe and unprofessional” actions by Iranian naval forces in the Gulf since August 2017. Urban is a spokesman for US Naval Forces Central Command in Manama, Bahrain. — AP


March 16, 2018
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