Iran Faking Iraq Ballots – Or Are They?

This is not encouraging news, especially given all of the latest hullabaloo with Iran and their nuclear program:

Less than two days before nationwide elections, the Iraqi border police seized a tanker on Tuesday that had just crossed from Iran filled with thousands of forged ballots, an official at the Interior Ministry said.

So now, Iran is interfering in Iraqi politics, and trying to skew the results in their favor. This alone should warrant a severe rebuke from the UN Security Council, and some sanctions, but does anyone reading this think that will ever happen?

But as Donklephant points out, it does point out the sad fact that they got INTO Iraq in the first place. This indicates some Iraqis would have known about it, or did a piss-poor job of checking what was coming in across the border.

It was not one place on the border though:

One official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the Iranian truck driver told the police under interrogation that at least three other trucks filled with ballots had crossed from Iran at different spots along the border.

So this seems to be a concerted effort by Iran, a particular method of ensuring that at least one group got through. And, if the truck driver is telling half the truth, there could be more already through, or coming through. I wonder how much of the election could be considered fake?

This is all however, denied by Lieutenant General Ahmed al-Khafaji, the chief of the U.S.-trained force which has responsibility for all Iraq’s borders. But then again, why wouldn’t he? If he admitted it, it would show his troops are worthles and at worst, corrupt. Interior Minister Bayan Jabor also denied the reports.

The Pundit Guy is as confused by this as I am, first they have got through, then they haven’t. Faithful Progressive talks about the war and how it has only served to make Iran more powerful, pointing out President Ahmadinejad’s recent hateful rhetoric.

This is covered by the big news networks: CNN, ABC, Reuters (refuting the story), NY Times (and here).

Cross-posted at The English Guy.