New York Times: Disclosure of Classified Documents on Iran’s Role in Iraq

The New York Times says it has obtained classified documents through “The Intercept” that reveal Iran’s programs in Iraq and efforts to maintain its position in the country. The New York Times writes about Iran’s influence in Iraq and the role of Qasem Soleimani.

«In mid-October, as unrest began in Baghdad, a familiar observer quietly moved about the city. Baghdad had been under siege for weeks, with streets becoming the scene of popular protests demanding an end to corruption and the removal of the country’s prime minister. Protesters particularly condemned Iran’s heavy influence in Iraqi politics, burning Iranian flags and attacking Iran’s consulate.»

The New York Times writes: «The visitor had come to restore order, but his presence only added to the protesters’ discontent: he was Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force.»

The newspaper states that documents and records from Iran have been leaked that provide a precise picture of Tehran’s role in the country’s officials’ interference in Iraqi affairs and reveal the special role of Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, in decisions made in Baghdad.

These documents are part of Iran’s secret information archive that “The Intercept” obtained and provided to the New York Times, and were published simultaneously by both media outlets.

Qasem Soleimani’s Role in Iraq

The New York Times, referring to Iraq’s recent unrest and Qasem Soleimani’s presence in the country, describes his objective as consolidating Adel Abdul Mahdi’s government and developing plans to counter a popular uprising that poses a threat to Tehran’s influence in Iraq.

Based on information obtained from these documents, Soleimani met with an ally in the Iraqi parliament to encourage him to support keeping al-Mahdi in his position.

The Arabic-language website “Al Hurra” also highlighted sections of the New York Times article.

“Al Hurra” writes that these documents show that Soleimani’s role in Iraq goes beyond alliances among Iraqi political forces, and that Tehran has been able to create a network of spies and agents placed in important political, economic, and even religious institutions in Iraq.

According to the New York Times, these documents reveal that Qasem Soleimani plays an effective role in strengthening Tehran’s influence in Iraq.

The New York Times writes that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence feared that Iran’s achievements in Iraq would be lost due to Iraqis’ rejection of Shiite militias and the Quds Force. The report refers to Qasem Soleimani’s role in this connection and criticizes Soleimani for highlighting and exposing his role in leading the Quds Force in Iraq by publishing photos on social media.

700 Pages of Documents from an Unknown Source

The New York Times writes that approximately 700 pages of classified documents, which were anonymously sent to The Intercept, have been translated from Persian to English. In this regard, reference is made to a message from an anonymous individual explaining his purpose for sending these documents: «Let the world know what Iran is doing to my country, Iraq.»

These documents include hundreds of reports and correspondence written between 2014 and 2015 by Iranian Ministry of Intelligence officers who were stationed in Iraq.

“Al Hurra” writes that these documents present a picture of how Iraq has gradually fallen under Iran’s influence since 2003, and also show how Iran has surpassed the United States and is working to expand its influence in Iraq and overcome new challenges.

Intelligence Work for Iran in Exchange for Rewards

These documents show where meetings between Iranian parties and their agents in Iraq took place; on dark streets, shopping centers, or under the cover of hunting trips and even at parties.

According to these documents, spies continuously monitored American soldiers. They were stationed at Baghdad airport and photographed American soldiers and monitored coalition flights. These documents show how agents who reported to Iran received payment, whether through gifts of pistachios, perfume, and saffron, or bribes to Iraqi officials, and even covering the expenses of Iraqi intelligence officers. In one of these documents, there is mention of 87 euros given as a gift to a commander.

Al-Mahdi and His Relationship with Iran

One of these documents shows that Adel Abdul Mahdi, an individual who had close cooperation with Iran during his exile under Saddam Hussein, has a special relationship with Tehran. The document also refers to this special relationship in 2014, when al-Mahdi was Iraq’s oil minister, but does not provide details about the nature of this relationship.

The New York Times writes that a former senior American official had warned that “a special relationship with Iran could mean many things, it does not mean he is an Iranian state agent.” The New York Times continues, saying that nonetheless, no Iraqi politician can become prime minister without Iran’s support, and Mr. al-Mahdi, who was nominated in 2018, was considered a candidate on whom both Iran and the United States agreed.

In this report, the names of several other high-ranking Iraqi officials are mentioned. For example, al-Maliki is mentioned, who spent the 1980s in exile in Iran and was one of Tehran’s options. He was more preferable to Tehran than his rival, Haider al-Abadi, who was educated in Britain and close to the West.

The report mentions a meeting arranged by Iran’s embassy in which Mr. al-Abadi is referred to as “an Englishman” and a candidate of “America,” and Iran believed it had enough reserves of a minister [loyal to Iran]. In this connection, the name of Hassan Danaiifar, Iran’s former ambassador to Iraq, is also mentioned, who at this meeting listed cabinet members one by one and explained their relationship with Iran. Ibrahim al-Jaafari is another politician mentioned in this report as someone who has a special relationship with Iran.

Cultivating Iraqi Officials Loyal to Iran

These documents show that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, particularly the Quds Force under the leadership of Qasem Soleimani, oversee Iran’s policies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, which are the most sensitive countries for Tehran. The New York Times writes that the appointment of new ambassadors to these countries is normally not in the hands of the Foreign Ministry but in the hands of the highest-ranking officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The newspaper writes that, according to sources, Ministry of Intelligence and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers in Iraq operate in parallel with each other and report their findings to their respective headquarters in Tehran, which in turn transmits their reports to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

These documents show that cultivating Iraqi officials loyal to Iran was an important part of their activities, which was made easier by Iran’s alliance with many Iraqi leaders belonging to opposition groups in the war against Saddam Hussein.

Qais Quraishi, a political analyst on Iraqi issues and an adviser to the Iranian government in Iraq, emphasizes that Iran has focused on cultivating high-ranking officials in Iraq. He adds: «We have many allies among Iraqi officials whom we can trust blindly.»

Iran Fills America’s Void

According to leaked information, Iran quickly became active after American troops withdrew from Iraq in 2011 to recruit those who had cooperated with the American CIA.

Based on one of these documents, Iranian intelligence forces began the process of recruiting spies in the U.S. State Department. The document does not show whether Iran was successful in its efforts at that time or not. However, these documents show that Iran had initiated contact with a source, and financial incentives, gold rewards, and other gifts are mentioned.

From the obtained documents, it appears that a person from the U.S. State Department, whose name is not mentioned, was aware of American government programs in Iraq and could provide this information to Iran, whether in the context of dealing with ISIS or in regard to covert operations.

“We Are Shia and We Have a Common Enemy”

In these documents, in November 2014, it states that an Iraqi officer who previously worked for the CIA and had the alias “Danny Brasco” later joined Iran’s intelligence service and became known as “Source 134992.»

“Source 134992” kept Iranian officers informed of all information he has about American covert activities in Iraq and said he had this information for sale: safe houses, names of hotels where Americans meet with their spies, details about weapons and training, and the names of other Iraqis who spy for Americans. This spy said that while his salary had increased to 3,000 dollars, he worked for the CIA for 18 months, plus a double payment of two thousand dollars and a car.

In another telegram, an Iraqi intelligence officer tells his Iranian counterpart that he is willing to spy for Iran, particularly given the activities of the United States in the country, and assures them that “Iran is my second country.” The New York Times quotes this Iraqi officer as saying: «Tell them we are in your service. We are Shia and we have a common enemy.»

Iran’s Main Programs in Iraq

The New York Times writes that some of the information is confusing and amusing, such as when Iranian spies enter a German cultural institution in Iraq but discover they have the wrong password and cannot open the safe. However, the newspaper also refers to valuable information revealed by these documents and describes the officers depicted in them as professionals.

According to the New York Times, based on the leaked documents, their main duty is described as preventing the fragmentation of Iraq, keeping Sunni militias away from Iran’s borders, preventing sectarian war that could target the Shiite community with violence, and preventing an independent Kurdistan that would threaten regional stability and Iran’s security.

Source: DW