ABC News: Iranian-Made Weapons in Iraq?

ABC News reports that "U.S. military and intelligence officials" have revealed that "they have caught shipments of deadly new bombs at the Iran-Iraq border."

U.S. officials say roadside bomb attacks against American forces in Iraq have become much more deadly as more and more of the Iran-designed and Iran-produced bombs have been smuggled in from the country since last October.

"I think the evidence is strong that the Iranian government is making these IEDs, and the Iranian government is sending them across the border and they are killing U.S. troops once they get there," says Richard Clarke, former White House counterterrorism chief and an ABC News consultant. "I think it's very hard to escape the conclusion that, in all probability, the Iranian government is knowingly killing U.S. troops."

Okay. Wait a minute here. Most of us remember Richard Clarke, who was ignored by the Bush administration when he tried to get them to focus on al Qaeda long before 9/11. He'd been Clinton's counterterrorism guy and had been kept on by Bush. Before that, he served under Bush the First and Reagan. He's been around the block more than a few times, so he lends credibility to the subject at hand, supposedly.

What I wonder aloud, however, are these things:

1) how does he know how strong the current evidence really is? He hasn't been in government since 2003 when he resigned.
2) isn't it just a tad convenient that these allegations are coming up now as the Bush administration pushes for aggression against Iran?
3) Haven't we been down this road before? Remember those scary vials of faux anthrax Colin Powell displayed at the UN while he was making his case for the Iraq war?
4) haven't Russian-made weapons been found in the hands of Iraqi insurgents too? And, what about the British connection? Are they next on America's GWOT agenda?
5) remember Judith Miller?

The Bush propaganda machine is at full speed ahead right now as it works to convince the American people that Iran is the next threat to their country. I've written about this hysteria before.

The right-wing blogosphere isn't even buying into this. Over at Captain's Quarters you'll find sentiments like: "If this can be substantiated," and "If this turns out to be correct," it could be a "casus belli" that opens up military actions against Iran. On the other hand, this right-winger wants ICBM action immediately. Maybe the Captain just hasn't received the memo from Rove yet to get on board. Check your e-mail, Captain.

I just have this to say: "fool me once, shame on —- shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again".