Gates: Iran Supplying Militants in Iraq

(Newsroom America) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Shiite extremists rather than al Qaeda operatives are responsible for most of the recent deaths of American soldiers in Iraq, and that they are "clearly getting some fairly sophisticated and powerful weapons" from neighboring Iran.

In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Gates said he's concerned about Iran's growing influence in Iraq but that he also believes Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is beginning to take the Shiite groups more seriously.

He also said the U.S. is working with the Iraqis to reduce the threat.

Five U.S. troops were killed in an attack Monday, the single largest loss of life for American soldiers in two years. A Shiite group claimed responsibility for that attack.

During his tenure as defense secretary, Gates has often voiced concern over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program. Gates said a year ago, however, that although the Islamic republic may have enough bomb-making material by this year, the Obama administration is not prepared "to even talk about containing a nuclear Iran."

In a separate interview on "Fox News Sunday," Gates also said he worried that the administration may seek to cut defense spending too much while looking for ways to decrease the federal budget.

"I worry people whose primary worry and concern is the economy and the deficit will see defense … as a way to reduce those obligations and that deficit," Gates said, according to Fox News. "I believe that misstates the problem. The base defense budget is not part of the deficit problem."

Gates said that minus the spending on the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, the base defense budget is only 3.5 percent of the nation's gross domestic product.

© 2011 Newsroom America.

Contact Jon E. Dougherty