How Iran Tried to Recruit Spies Against the U.S. in Iraq
A U.S. Navy plane maneuvers on the runway of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey, in July 28, 2015. Photo: Emrah Gurel/APA U.S. Navy plane maneuvers on the runway of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey, in July 28, 2015. Photo: Emrah Gurel/AP
February 7 2021, 11:00 a.m.
The Iraqi had a lot to prove to his Iranian spy handler. For years, the Iraqi had secretly spied for Iran, providing valuable intelligence about American operations in Iraq. But when the United States withdrew most of its troops and reduced its presence in Iraq in 2011, he had little new information that interested his Iranian minders. With the Americans pretty much gone, the Iraqi was cut loose by the Iranians.