Among the documents released Friday by WikiLeaks are pages of reports in which the US military more directly links Iran to involvement with Shiite militias operating in Iraq, such as Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army.
According to an analysis by The New York Times, “the field reports disclosed by WikiLeaks, which were never intended to be made public, underscore the seriousness with which Iran’s role has been seen by the American military.” The reports also indicate that Shiite militants received advanced training inside Iran and that weapons and bomb-making materials were smuggled "from Iran into Iraq."
Iran's Revolutionary Guard was also involved in the training of Shiite militants, according to Al Jazeera, yet this along with much of the substance of the WikiLeaks documents has long been known.
On July 25, 2007, the Monitor reported that "economic ties between Iran and Iraq are growing in the face of US criticism of Tehran's meddling, which includes arming militias. Such Iran-Iraq links are not only bolstered by common beliefs binding Shiite leaders but also, some experts say, by a US strategy to arm and support former Sunni insurgents – many of whom consider Shiites bitter foes – in the fight against Al Qaeda."
