Posted on 04/23/2003 9:37:55 PM PDT by Lady In Blue
WASHINGTON (AFP) Apr 24, 2003
Faced with resurgent Shiite political activism, US marines have begun patrolling stretches of the Iraqi border with Iran in order to screen border traffic for hostile infiltrators, the US military announced Wednesday. The Central Command said the patrols involve members of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion attached to Task Force Tarawa and have been underway in northeastern Iraq since Monday.
"The patrols were designed to maintain Iraqi territorial integrity and will simultaneously assist Iraqi expatriates to return home to their loved ones as well," the command said in a statement.
The operation began amid new concern in Washington that Iranian agents bent on stirring up anti-American unrest among fellow Iraqi Shiite might be infiltrating into the country.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said earlier Wednesday that the United States had made it clear to Iran that it would "oppose any outside interference in Iraq's road to democracy."[emphasis mine]
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have flocked to holy Shiite city Karbala of Karbala over the past few days for religious celebrations, some of which have evolved into loud protests against the US occupation of Iraq.
As part of their border patrols, "the Marines will search and interview all people attempting to enter and leave Iraq through Iran," Central Command said.
It added that the US troops were prepared to detain all former Iraqi regime officials, third-country nationals and suspected insurgents, as well as seize weapons, antiquities and large sums of money from people attempting to remove them from Iraq.
"We plan to screen the full length of the Wasit province Iran border,"[emphasis mine] said Major Steve Greco, a battalion liaison officer. "We have a large area to cover."
He said medical teams were attached to the battalion to provide assistance to all those in need.
BRING IT ON
L
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