The new Iraqi government will publish damning evidence this week linking foreign powers, including Iran and Syria, to the Muslim extremists and loyalists of the former regime who launched a bloody rebellion after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Hoshyar Zebari, the foreign minister, told The Telegraph that the interim government had gathered intelligence detailing the support provided to insurgent groups by some neighbouring nations.

Although he did not name the countries, senior Iraqi officials indicated that Iran and Syria were the worst offenders. The accusation that governments in Teheran and Damascus have been aiding the insurgents could create an immediate diplomatic crisis for the Baghdad administration that assumed power only last week.

Insurgents had benefited from financial support, logistical assistance and training from neighbouring government agencies, said Mr Zebari. Baghdad also believed that up to 10,000 foreign spies and undercover agents had infiltrated the country since last year's war.

He even indicated that Iraq might not oppose attacks by American troops based in Iraq on neighbouring states if they were backing the insurgents.

"Since we started to look at the security situation, we have seen how foreign governments have been helping terrorists," said Mr Zebari. "Why they are doing it we cannot say, but we know where the support is coming from. We have plans to put this before the public within days and it will have substantial impact."[...]

SYRIA has stepped up its assistance to insurgents in Iraq and is encouraging both secular and Islamist fighters operating across its border, according to Western and Arab officials.

The world's last Baathist state may also have acquired the key components and technology required to manufacture weapons-grade uranium, authorities fear.

Despite assurances from Damascus that it is cracking down on cross-border activity, critics claim the Syrian intelligence services are co-operating with members of the former Baghdad regime and even with associates of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian accused of orchestrating a wave of bloody bombings, kidnappings and murders in Iraq.

One well-placed Arab official with experience in Syria said that while Damascus offered assurances it was working to combat terror, in reality it was doing the exact opposite.

Jordan has complained to the Syrians that it has intercepted Zarqawi's insurgents and shipments of heavy weapons destined for operations against Jordanian authorities .

Syria was accused immediately after the war with Iraq of facilitating cross-border operations by Arab volunteers seeking to join the Iraqi resistance. After pressure from Washington, the authorities in Damascus appeared to have clamped down on the traffic.

Now there is fresh evidence the Syrians are engaged in assisting the resistance.

Western intelligence agencies believe elements of the Syrian regime are trying to resurrect the defunct Iraqi Baath party.

At least one former senior Iraqi Baathist official has established himself in a large villa in Damascus, where is he recruiting volunteers and sending them over the border to resistance strongholds such as Fallujah and Ramadi. His operations are conducted with the encouragement of the host Government...