Iran Sees Iraq's Upcoming Elections As Opportunity To Gain Influence, Pentagon Says

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Iran is likely to use this year's elections in Iraq to try and extend its influence over the country even as it trains, funds and arms militant groups intent on destabilizing Iraq, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

In a quarterly report to Congress, the Defense Department said Iran's "malign influence" was one of a number of factors that still weighs on the security situation in Iraq even though violence has fallen to levels not seen since 2004.

"In the months ahead, Tehran will likely seek to influence Iraq by identifying and supporting pro-Iranian individuals and parties in their bids to win upcoming elections," the report said.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[hortonhearsawho2]

Which U.S. company gets the Lobbying contract...

[Deparis]

I see nothing wrong with Iran funding political parties or candidates aligned with its interests, we have been funding some of the moderate Sunnis and Kurds politicians too. My problem is with Iran supplying weapons to these groups to destabilize Iraq. If Iran wants to contribute to political stability through democratically held elections in Iraq, I say they should go for it. Does not the USA do this all over the world? Don't we fund Fatah in Palestine? How about Saad Hariri's al-Mostaqbal Movement in Lebanon? Morgan Zvangerai's Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe? The Orange Revolution in Ukraine? How about...? Do I need to continue? I did not think so either. ' nuff said!

[Mollabaji]

The Pentagon and its spokesmen take us for idiots. Of course Iran will try to have influence in Iraq. Why not? They share a long border, long historical, cultural, and religious ties. Of course Iran is opposed to the long-term security agreement of Iraq with U.S. because it is against Iraqi sovereignty.
Just read the report to the end where it finally admits that the important needs of Iraq are services such as education, health, development and stability. Iran is helping Iraq in these areas, for its own interest because stability in Iraq is to the interest of Iran contrary to what the article states. Go figure.

[Deparis]

You read and think too much. With people like you how can we start a war with Iran to enrich our Haliburton buddies?

[monkeysuit]

All of these types of stories have truths to them but are mostly a waste of time because we don't know until it happens. I mean it makes sense that Iran would do that to gain influence but doesn't make it so. Wait and see.

Monkeysuit
http://randompoliticalthoughtsandnews.blogspot.com/

[ManwithaParachute]

The failure of the Bush administration and the NeoCon clowns with the optional war in Iraq has been to think forward past their make believe world and realize the benefit of their war goes to Iran.

They aimlessly went into their endeavor and had no understanding of the culures and the regional politics. The only way they could have made this thing work was to "partner" with a government which would have been suni centric. The democracy will become a theocracy within 3 to 5 years and most of Iraq.