US warns of al-Qaeda activities in Iraq

The US embassy in Baghdad has warned of a growing al-Qaeda presence in Iraq, reporting a growth of arms and financial supplies across the region. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen, speaking during an announced visit to the Iraqi capital, announced his government was in “continuous coordination” with the Iraqi government to stop the “flow of terrorism” in the country. "During his visit to Baghdad, Cohen discussed the means of continuous coordination with the Iraqi government, to disrupt the financing of terrorism in the region, which has allowed al-Qaeda to distribute money and fighters throughout the region,” a US intelligence statement said. A Pentagon report in February warned that Iraq’s Victory Front posed a “real terrorist threat” to the Middle East, as its influence has begun to expand, threatening civilians in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.