Army chief: Iran may seek mass casualties in Iraq

Iran's stepped-up arming of Shiite militiamen in southern Iraq who are targeting American troops may be designed to trigger a "Beirut-like moment" of mass US casualties, the Obama administration's nominee to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress on Tuesday.

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, was asked by Independent Sen. Joseph Lieberman about a previous statement Dempsey had made in which he expressed concern that Iran might miscalculate the level of US resolve to assist Iraq. (AP)