WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States has determined that North Africa comprises a major source of funding and manpower for the Sunni insurgency in Iraq.

U.S. officials said a study by the military's European Command has traced the flow of money and recruits from such countries as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to Iraq. They said the operatives often travel through Iran and cross into the largely unpoliced border of Iraq.

"The Islamic cells in North Africa have become the No. 2 supplier of funds and foreign fighters for the insurgency in Iraq," an official said. "The ties between these cells and Al Qaida in Iraq are very tight."

The study said nearly 30 percent of all suicide bombers in Iraq come from North Africa. Algeria alone contributes up to 20 percent of suicide car bombers and another five percent come from Morocco and Tunisia.