State Department at Odds with Embassy over Iran Intel Presentation

Apparently, the United States Department of State is stating that absolutely NO information will be presented proving Iran's involvement in the chaos that is Iraq. This is a direct contradiction to what the U.S.'s new Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said that he would present a detailed presentation on Iranian involvement in Iraq. The reasoning the State Department is using: they do not want "faulty intelligence" spread widely like was the case in the build up to the Iraq War, which to me seems a covert admission there IS a build up to go to war with Iran, they just don't want to be embarrassed by "faulty intelligence" so they have decided not to release anything. Click here to see all of what ABC News has to say on this issue.

Breaking: Secret US Military Report Blames Iran

A Secret U.S. Military report, first reported by NBC News, and confirmed independently by Off The Record, that Iranian personnel was likely behind an ambush in the Iraqi city of Karbala that left five U.S. soldiers dead. Also detailed in the report is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is providing sophisticated weapons, as well as intelligence on Iraqi and U.S. military forces to Shiite extremists. More on this developing story as it becomes available.

Spoil's of War:

Big Oil companies from the United States is set to get a lot more oil very soon, according to The Independent:

"Iraq's massive oil reserves, the third-largest in the world, are about to be thrown open for large-scale exploitation by Western oil companies under a controversial law which is expected to come before the Iraqi parliament within days.

The US government has been involved in drawing up the law, a draft of which has been seen by The Independent on Sunday. It would give big oil companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon 30-year contracts to extract Iraqi crude and allow the first large-scale operation of foreign oil interests in the country since the industry was nationalised in 1972."

Wow, this is a big surprise, isn't it.

Prince Harry going to War..

Update: This story has finally made in into the U.K. media, click here to read it.

British sources have confirmed to Off the Record that Prince Harry will be going to WAR in Iraq....More on this story as it becomes available.

U.S. Iraq Death's Exceed 9/11 Deaths..

According to the AP, the death toll count of U.S. forces in Iraq have now officially exceeded the death toll of the 9/11 attacks, by one person as of today. Yesterday, the Pentagon announced the deaths of two soldiers in an attack, apparently pushing the death toll over this symbolic milestone. Click here to read the story.

Saddam's Execution to happen within 30 days

Iraq's highest court has handed down its verdict on Saddam Hussein's appeal: Hang him within 30 days of tomorrow...the high court also upheld the death penalty convictions of two others, but sent the former Iraqi Vice President's case back to the Iraqi Tribunal because they felt life in prison was too light of a sentence and basically told them, we want him hanged. To read the whole story, go here.

Iranians detained by U.S. in Iraq..

According to this New York Times Article,

"The United States is now holding, apparently for the first time, Iranians who it suspects of planning attacks. One senior administration official said, 'This is going to be a tense but clarifying moment.' "

This detention has actually led to tension between the U.S. and the Iraqi Government, as at least two of the men were in Iraq on the personal invitation of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. This raid and subsequent detention has highlighted they ongoing diplomatic war between the United States and Iran. This raid is being hailed by certain sectors of the U.S. Government as clear proof that Iran his playing a heavy hand in the chaos that is Iraq.