Arrested Iranians tied to group arming Iraqis--US

BAGHDAD, Jan 14 (Reuters) Five Iranians arrested by US forces in northern Iraq are connected to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard group that provides weapons to Iraqi insurgents, the US military said today.

The five were arrested on Thursday in a US raid on an Iranian government office in the Iraqi city of Arbil -- the second such operation in a month.

''Preliminary results revealed the five detainees are connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard - Qods Force (IRGC-QF), an organisation known for providing funds, weapons, improvised explosive device technology and training to extremist groups attempting to destabilise the Government of Iraq and attack Coalition forces,'' the US military said in a statement.

''The Multi-National Force, in keeping with US policy, will continue to disrupt logistical support to extremists that originate from outside Iraq,'' it said.

The United States has long accused Iran of interfering in Iraq, including providing weapons and training to Shi'ite forces.

US military officials and Iranian exiles say there is increasing evidence that many of the most sophisticated roadside bombs being used against US troops are produced in Iran.

US President George W Bush, who also accuses Syria of fomenting violence in Iraq, on Wednesday proposed sending 21,500 more US troops to try to restore security nearly four years after the US-led invasion.

He sparked concern that the conflict may widen with his comment that the United States would interrupt the ''flow of support'' from Iran and Syria and destroy the ''networks'' providing weaponry and training to US foes in Iraq.

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