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U.S. won’t sit back and allow Iran to arm militants in Iraq, says new defense secretary after highest monthly death toll in three years
14 U.S. servicemen killed in June and rockets hit Green Zone within hours of his arrival
Last updated at 4:54 PM on 11th July 2011
Adamant: U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta tells U.S. troops action will be taken against Iran supplying militia with weapons
The United States will take unilateral action against Shi'ite militias armed by Iran who threaten American troops, U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said today..
Fourteen service members were killed in hostile incidents in June, the highest monthly toll in three years.
In an address to U.S.troops in Baghdad, Panetta said: 'We are very concerned about Iran and the weapons they are providing to extremists here in Iraq.'
Despite U.S. forces officially ending combat operations in Iraq last August, troops have come under increasing fire in recent weeks.
American officials blame Shi'ite militias armed by Iraq's Shi'ite neighbour Iran for most of the recent attacks.
At least three U.S. service members have been killed this month, including one on Sunday, the day Panetta arrived in Baghdad on his first trip to Iraq as defense secretary.
Washington still has about 46,000 troops in Iraq more than eight years after the 2003 invasion overthrew Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.
Forces are due to be withdrawn by the end of the year under a security pact between the two countries.
In an address to U.S.troops in Baghdad, Panetta said: 'In June we lost a hell of a lot of Americans as a result of those attacks. And we cannot just simply stand back and allow this to continue to happen.'
Panetta said Washington's first effort would be to press Iraq to go after Shi'ite groups responsible for the attacks.
He is scheduled to meet Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki later on today.
Referring to the right of U.S. forces to defend themselves on Iraqi soil, he said: 'Secondly, to do what we have to do unilaterally, to be able to go after those threats as well, and we're doing that,'
General Lloyd Austin, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, declined to comment on what specific measures unilateral action might involve.
He said: 'I think what the secretary was pointing to was we'll do what's necessary to protect ourselves and that could include a host of things ... so we'll just leave it at that,'
Rallying the troops: Panetta addressing the troops in Baghdad
Hours after Panetta's arrival, militants fired three Katyusha rockets into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home to the massive U.S. embassy complex and Iraqi government buildings, according to an Iraqi Interior Ministry source
Officials, including Panetta, have been pressing Baghdad to decide whether it wants U.S. forces to stay beyond the year-end deadline.
Maliki has said he will abide by a decision of the majority of Iraq's political leaders.
Forces in Iraq now operate largely in the background, training and assisting Iraqi police and soldiers against a weakened but still lethal insurgency that launches hundreds of attacks each month.
Shake on it: Secretary of Defence with troops at Camp Dwyer, Kabul, Afghanistan
Panetta, who as CIA director helped oversee the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden, said his number one priority since becoming defense secretary was to defeat al Qaeda.
He told Congress last month there were still 1,000 al Qaeda fighters in Iraq.
In language reminiscent of the Bush era, he appeared to link the Iraq war to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in his comments to troops.
He said:'The reason you guys are here is because on 9/11 the United States got attacked, and 3,000 innocent human beings got killed because of al Qaeda
'And we've been fighting them as a result.'
He clarified to reporters he was not talking about the justification for the invasion - intelligence, later proven wrong, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
Instead, he said it was the fact that in the years since al Qaeda had 'really developed a presence here.'
Hungry work: Panetta reaches for mustard and relish to go with his hotdog during lunchtime at Camp Victory in Baghdad
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14 U.S. servicemen killed in June and rockets hit Green Zone within hours of his arrival
Last updated at 4:54 PM on 11th July 2011
Adamant: U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta tells U.S. troops action will be taken against Iran supplying militia with weapons
The United States will take unilateral action against Shi'ite militias armed by Iran who threaten American troops, U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said today..
Fourteen service members were killed in hostile incidents in June, the highest monthly toll in three years.
In an address to U.S.troops in Baghdad, Panetta said: 'We are very concerned about Iran and the weapons they are providing to extremists here in Iraq.'
Despite U.S. forces officially ending combat operations in Iraq last August, troops have come under increasing fire in recent weeks.
American officials blame Shi'ite militias armed by Iraq's Shi'ite neighbour Iran for most of the recent attacks.
At least three U.S. service members have been killed this month, including one on Sunday, the day Panetta arrived in Baghdad on his first trip to Iraq as defense secretary.
Washington still has about 46,000 troops in Iraq more than eight years after the 2003 invasion overthrew Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.
Forces are due to be withdrawn by the end of the year under a security pact between the two countries.
In an address to U.S.troops in Baghdad, Panetta said: 'In June we lost a hell of a lot of Americans as a result of those attacks. And we cannot just simply stand back and allow this to continue to happen.'
Panetta said Washington's first effort would be to press Iraq to go after Shi'ite groups responsible for the attacks.
He is scheduled to meet Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki later on today.
Referring to the right of U.S. forces to defend themselves on Iraqi soil, he said: 'Secondly, to do what we have to do unilaterally, to be able to go after those threats as well, and we're doing that,'
General Lloyd Austin, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, declined to comment on what specific measures unilateral action might involve.
He said: 'I think what the secretary was pointing to was we'll do what's necessary to protect ourselves and that could include a host of things ... so we'll just leave it at that,'
Rallying the troops: Panetta addressing the troops in Baghdad
Hours after Panetta's arrival, militants fired three Katyusha rockets into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home to the massive U.S. embassy complex and Iraqi government buildings, according to an Iraqi Interior Ministry source
Officials, including Panetta, have been pressing Baghdad to decide whether it wants U.S. forces to stay beyond the year-end deadline.
Maliki has said he will abide by a decision of the majority of Iraq's political leaders.
Forces in Iraq now operate largely in the background, training and assisting Iraqi police and soldiers against a weakened but still lethal insurgency that launches hundreds of attacks each month.
Shake on it: Secretary of Defence with troops at Camp Dwyer, Kabul, Afghanistan
Panetta, who as CIA director helped oversee the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden, said his number one priority since becoming defense secretary was to defeat al Qaeda.
He told Congress last month there were still 1,000 al Qaeda fighters in Iraq.
In language reminiscent of the Bush era, he appeared to link the Iraq war to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in his comments to troops.
He said:'The reason you guys are here is because on 9/11 the United States got attacked, and 3,000 innocent human beings got killed because of al Qaeda
'And we've been fighting them as a result.'
He clarified to reporters he was not talking about the justification for the invasion - intelligence, later proven wrong, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
Instead, he said it was the fact that in the years since al Qaeda had 'really developed a presence here.'
Hungry work: Panetta reaches for mustard and relish to go with his hotdog during lunchtime at Camp Victory in Baghdad
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
