U.S. sees less use of deadliest bombs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Defense officials said Thursday that Iraqi insurgents have sharply curtailed the use of their most powerful roadside bombs, weapons American officials repeatedly have charged are being smuggled into the war zone from Iran.

But Defense Secretary Robert Gates said it was too soon to tell whether the decline in the use of the munitions resulted from an Iranian pledge to stem the flow of weaponry between the two countries. Tehran has denied it is providing munitions to Iraqi insurgents.

The bombs, known as explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, are a favored weapon of Shiite militias and can pierce the toughest armor the U.S. Army has fielded in Iraq.

Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the day-to-day military commander in Iraq, said 53 EFPs were found planted on Iraqi roads in October – 30 that detonated and 23 that were found before they exploded. That is down from 99 in July and 78 in August. In September, 52 either exploded or were found before they detonated.

Gates, in a news conference later, refused to say that the developments indicated the U.S. now is winning in Iraq.

The Los Angeles Times reported in September that Iraqi Minister Nouri al-Maliki has secured a pledge from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to help cut off weapons, funding and other support to militants in Iraq.

“It is my understanding that they have provided such assurances,” Gates said, confirming the deal. “I don’t know whether to believe them. I’ll wait and see.”

State Department officials have blamed the Iranian government for allowing weapons to be shipped into Iraq. Gates said again Thursday that he had no direct evidence that top Iranian officials have knowledge of the smuggling.

The military has presented only limited evidence publicly of the smuggling, and some critics have questioned whether very many explosives are brought from Iran. A senior Pentagon official said Thursday that providing more detailed evidence could inadvertently help smugglers.

Tension between the U.S. and Iran over Iraq, coupled with hostile rhetoric from the Bush administration over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, has heightened fears about a possible military clash. Sen. James Webb, D-Va., sent a letter to the White House, co-signed by 29 other senators, condemning recent administration statements and reminding President Bush that “no congressional authority exists for unilateral military action against Iran.”

But Gates reiterated Thursday that he favors nonmilitary solutions.

“Everybody is agreed that the United States’ approach to dealing with the Iranian problem now is to focus on economic sanctions and on diplomacy, and I don’t think there is any difference within the government on that principle,” Gates said.