Washington, DC, Feb 12: Sceptical congressional Democrats said on Sunday that the Bush administration should move cautiously before accusing Iran of fomenting a campaign of violence against US troops in Iraq.
The members of Congress spoke on morning talk shows as US military officials charged on Sunday that the highest levels of the Iranian leadership reportedly ordered Shiite militants in Iraq to be armed with sophisticated armour-piercing roadside bombs that have allegedly killed more than 170 American forces.
Speaking following an appearance on a TV channel, Senator Christopher Dodd said he planned to treat the latest report with scepticism.
"I've been around long enough to know that this administration has tried in the past to sort of doctor the numbers, to cook the books, to serve their policy goals. We've seen that in the Iraq conflict," Dodd told reporters.
Dodd said that he is concerned the Bush administration could be laying the groundwork for a military attack on Iran, which he said would be "a huge mistake."
"I think there is a problem there, don't doubt that at all, but there are far better ways to address this in my view, than invading Iran," Dodd added.
And speaking on ABC's "This Week" television programme, Senator John Kerry said he has no doubt that "there are weapons flowing across the border" from Iran.
"Nobody questions, those of us who have been to Iraq and in the region know that there are Iranian instigators, agents in Iraq, and that's happening, there's no question," Kerry said.
But he added that it was essential "to listen to the Iraq Study Group, listen to those of us in Congress who have said we've got to engage in the region."
On the Republican side, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate, said the US "will take the appropriate action" to protect US troops in Iraq.
Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," McConnell would not say whether the US would attack Iran if it's proven the Iranian government is helping US enemies in Iraq.
"I don't think we're going to announce on a Sunday show exactly what the tactics might be, but we're going to try to protect the US forces in Iraq and that requires, with that force protection, that requires going after those who are trying to harm Americans," McConnell said.
Also on Sunday the US military released photographs of weapons they claim have been used against American and Iraqi forces.
At a press briefing in Baghdad three senior US military officials claimed the process used in the construction of the deadly bombs shown in the photographs had been traced to Iran.
The experts, who spoke to a large gathering of reporters on condition that they not be further identified, said the supply trail began with Iran's Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, which also is accused of arming the Hezbollah guerrilla army in Lebanon.
The officials claimed the Revolutionary Guard and its Quds force report directly to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The presentation of alleged evidence by the US military was reportedly the result of weeks of preparation and revisions as US officials put together a package of material to support the Bush administration's claims of Iranian intercession on behalf of militant Iraqis fighting American forces.
Bureau Report