HERE’S AN INTERESTING BIT from the transcript I just got in the mail from CNN. It’s the Iraqi National Security Adviser, on “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer.”

On who is responsible for the recent bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra
MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE: The blueprint of that unfortunate event, the blueprints of al Qaeda in Iraq is that. It’s the same design, the same methods, the same objectives they want to achieve, which is a civil war. They wanted to drive a wedge between the two communities in Iraq, between the Shia and Sunnis. And they’ve been trying this for the last two and a half years. And they failed miserably in this.

And I think also this is one of the most horrible, really terrible attacks on the doctrine, on the belief of the largest community in Iraq. And still, Iraqi people have proven that they’ve gone through this difficulty, yet again, and they have shown the al Qaeda and the outside world that they will never be driven to the civil war.

BLITZER: So when you saw al Qaeda in Iraq, you mean Abu Musab al- Zarqawi? Is that right?

AL-RUBAIE: That’s absolutely right. It’s the same organization of al Qaeda, this international terrorist organization, and one — the branch office in Iraq is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi leading this — this terrible attack, terrorist attack against our people.

On whether any individuals have been arrested for the bombing
AL-RUBAIE: We have arrested 10 people. Four from the guards of the Golden Tomb shrine. And six — there were in the city of Samarra, just moved in and rented a place. Six young people there. So we are investigating then. We are very — there are two leads, and these leads are very, very good in our investigations. And we will reveal this in the very near future at Jala (ph).

I wonder if the trail will lead back to Iran.