Iraqi Shiites describe Iranian training

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Shiite fighters captured in Iraq describe training at bases in Iran, newly declassified documents say.

The Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy compiled reports of the interrogation of militia members questioned in 2007 and 2008, The New York Times reported. No corroboration exists for the information, but the newspaper said that the detainees' description of their training is consistent.

The fighters describe military-style training that begins early after exercise, breakfast and prayers and continues through the day with time off for lunch and religion classes.

They said that the instructors included members of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and of the Hezbollah from Lebanon.

There is a network of safe houses that allows the fighters to travel from Iraq to Iran and to make the trip home.

U.S. intelligence analysts believe that under the current Iranian strategy small groups of Iraqis are brought to Iran for training and then train larger numbers of fighters when they return home, The Times said.