White House mulls release of intel on Tehran

The dossier also details Iran’s role in providing Iraqi fighters with the “explosively formed penetrator” devices that can pierce the armor of Abrams tanks with nearly molten-hot charges. One intelligence official said the U.S. is “fairly comfortable” that it knows with some precision the origin of those Iranian-made explosives.

While traveling in Europe on Friday, Gates said that serial numbers and markings on explosives used in Iraq provide “pretty good” evidence that Iran is providing either weapons or technology for militants there. Gates did not how the U.S. knows that, and officials in Washington declined comment.

Murky nature of Iran’s actions
A senior U.S. government official said Saturday that members of Congress were shown proof in December. “I’m convinced from what I’ve seen that the Iranians are supplying and are giving assistance to the people in Iraq who are killing American soldiers,” said independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

The evidence in the dossier also includes what is known about Iranian efforts to train Iraqis in making bombs, using firearms and other military skills. But officials described internal disagreement about how closely Iranians can be linked to the training: Is there an Iranian in a classroom or some other setting showing Iraqis how to place and detonate roadside bombs?

That, the official said, is less clear.

Analysts at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Office of the National Intelligence Director and elsewhere have been double- and triple-checking the information to ensure it is well supported.

Officials said that is particularly the case when the material comes from sources with agendas. For instance, groups such as the Mujahedeen Khalq, which advocates for the overthrow of Iran’s rulers, have provided some useful information to the United States in the past, but officials said material from them and other similar sources must be handled carefully.

The vigorous fact-checking brings up a recurring problem: the precise nature of Iran’s actions is often murky, but the intelligence must be solid. After mistakes on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, U.S. officials recognize there is skepticism about U.S. intelligence claims.

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