At Brookings just now, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns went beyond what President Bush said this morning about official Iranian culpability for Iranian munitions used in attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. Responding to Warren Strobel of McClatchy’s efforts to get Burns to define the relationship between Qods and higher echelons of Iranian leadership, Burns said:
I’ll resist the temptation to draw an organizational chart, for obvious reasons. They’re part of the Iranian defense and intelligence establishment. They’re a major part of the Iranian government. Therefore, the actions of that force are the responsibility of that government. If that force is supplying technology for Shiite militants, that government is responsible.
