While most Americans (and the writers on and visitors to this site, as well as most of the media) remained largely focused on the race for the democratic nomination (and the subject of race within that race), a little war within a war erupted last week in Iraq, and then ended rather quickly in what many are calling a stalemate between rival Shia parties and militias. Said war in Basra ended, according to almost every reliable news source, because of Iranian intervention.
Iran, extremely close to all the Shia politicians and militia leaders in post-Saddam Iraq, brokered a cease-fire between Iraqi security forces and the Mahdi Army, headed by Moqtada al-Sadr, who is currently residing in Iran (commuting between Tehran and Qom to complete his religious studies at the seminaries there), and some reports have suggested that the commander of the Qods Force of the Revolutionary Guards, Brigadier General Qasem Soleimani, a terrorist in charge of a terrorist organization by U.S. definition, and someone close to both Sadr and to SIIC (formerly SCIRI) leader Hakim (both of whom his organization supported during the Saddam era) played a, if not the, key role.
However, our man in Baghdad and the top-ranking U.S. civilian in Iraq, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, on Thursday this week claimed that he was "not aware of what role, if any, Iran had played in Sadr's decision" (to call for a cease-fire). Gee, that should make everyone feel good. From the Bush administration apparently being caught unaware of the impending clash, to John McCain's "surprise" at the intensity of it, and now to our ambassador unaware of how the fighting ended, the sheer incompetence of the administration (and those who supported the surge) in its Iraq adventure would be the stuff of comedy, were it not so tragic.
Now if Ambassador Crocker was merely lying because his government cannot bring itself to admit that a member of the "axis of evil", one that we do not talk to, can actually get the U.S. out of a jam of its own making, then that in itself is tragic not because of the lie but because it means lost opportunity after lost opportunity after lost American lives. If he's telling the truth and he was indeed "unaware" of Iranian involvement, then it's high time he retired, closed down the behemoth that is the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, and wished the Iranians Godspeed and good luck in fixing the Iraq that we seem to have broken. Because, after all, it seems that they might be the only ones who can.
So I think it would be very difficult for W and company to try to wag this dog. And McCain is just delusional.
We are not dealing realistically with our own homegrown problems & we want the world to take orders from us. Brilliant....
Carter was a wimp and soft touch, so Ayatollah CHOSE confrontation.
Ayatollah CHOSE to take U.S. diplomats hostages for almost 2 years and parade them blind folded in front of cameras like cattle forcing the crisis with U.S.
Think about it logically, if you can.
This is why I don't bother to have discussions with people on these boards.
(& not to say I'm not guilty of the same thing--though I made no attack on you here).
Anytime you want to have a discussion, ping me, you want to throw stones--go play with a republican.
I would say that the Iranian hostage crisis, bad as it was, is pretty mild in comparison.
The mullahs want American forces out of Iraq and the Middle East because they are an impediment to their mad, dangerous regional ambitions stated in article 11 of the Iranian constitution as the "unification of Islam" under their rule. As long as American troops are in Iraq acting as a buffer to Iran's imperial designs the messianic mullahs will be the major cause of Iraq's destabilizing violence -violence that has massively killed tens and thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians and thousands of US troops. In other words, a stable, secure free Iraq is inseparable from the destruction of the mullahs.
OUT OF IRAQ AND INTO IRAN
There is no better way.
Just what we need in the region. More bloodshed. Brilliant strategy. Lets make sure more of our troops get killed in Iraq by inciting the one power that seems to have influence there. Influence on our PUPPET Government!
The only way we will ever get out of Iraq without a complete and utter fiasco is by making some sort of accommodation with Iran. They, after all, hold ALL the high cards. Thanks to the stupidity of Cheney/Bush.
It wasn't precisely 3AM but my bedroom phone was ringing nonetheless.
Always at the ready (in fact from Day 1!), I answered. It was one of my "fishing" buddies from the Gulf.
He told me that the banner headline in one of the major newspapers in Bahrain (Akhbar al Khalij) was "American Attack on Iran Imminent". Article claimed that intelligence agencies and strategic analysts had told the paper that the USA would soon launch a surprise attack -- a continuous 12 hour aerial bombardment to destroy Iranian military infrastructure.. And that Cheney's recent visit had been to advise our clients in the area to be prepared.
Of course, just because something is in the press, doesn't make it the gospel. I remember reading about aluminum tubes in the NYT.
Akhbar is pro-government, (Bahrain) though not always pro-American.
www.akhbar-alkhaleej.com
It would be even worse than "help" that Syria extended to Lebanon. Poor Lebanese have been paying the price for letting in the foreign Syrian invaders ever since.
Just imagine what model the highly oppressive, radical Islamicist Iranian would provide for Iraqi struggling state: burkas for everyone and the evil Iraqis who listen to rock will have to hang a piss-pot around their necks. Hey, it works in Iran. Nice people these religious freaks.
Also Syrian troops did restore peace in the country after some rather bitter fighting. They came in under an Arab League mandate.
Problem is they overstayed their usefulness and welcome.
Do you suppose there's a Syrian equivalent of McCrazy who wants to stay there 100 years?
Do you remember the situation there? Car bombs, chaos, kidnappings. Nobody safe. The Civil War exploited by criminal gangs who used terror as a business opportunity.
In other words: It was practice for the occupation of Iraq. The difference being the thousands of tons of ams and ammunition left to be looted by Rumsfeld's incompetence.
I believe most Lebanese were more than happy to see Syria intervene (no matter what they say now).
Like Rog says: they overstayed their welcome. Which goes to show. When you invade other countries the only smart thing is to get in and get out ASAP>
History shows that stronger country almost always overstay their welcome in weaker countries. Sometimes they never leave.
Once Iranians become entrenched in Iraq they will not leave, ever.
Just as Syria has no intention of leave the rich but defenseless Lebanon.
Ironically,the enemy Israel helped also by evicting PLO.
Lebanon is paying a high price for the peace: loss of the southern province to Syrian puppet Hezbollah and continued state of war with Israel because Syria wants it.
Iraq will suffer similar fate if Iran gains Syrian-like domination in Iraq.
Iranian help should accepted BUT ONLY in diplomatically and trade relationships.
NO Iranian troops or intelligence services,
NO para military training of Shiites in Iran,
NO Iranian weapon networks,
NO Iranian mullahs and madrassahs in Iraq.
Otherwise: Hezbollization of Iraq will occur and Iraq will cease to exist.
To admit the Iranian Government did something that benefited the USA or the Iraqi people is very dangerous.
Like saying somethiing nice about Ahriman, it undermines the entire theology.
It's only natural of enemies to be suspicious of each other.
Certainly, Iranian Supreme Leader will never admit that US has a positive role anywhere in the world.
Same is true for US government. I see nothing unusual about this.
Let's see...who did Khomeini take over from?
That would be the Shah. Who 'elected' the Shah to run Iran?
Oh yeah, the CIA.
Now...who 'chose' who to be enemies with?
Google 'blowback'
When Mitt Romney was running in the Iowa primary, someone asked him why his sons weren't in Iraq. He replied they were doing their national service in his campaign. I think one of his boys still has the flashbacks of the flashbulbs popping in his face.
Later he broke down crying because he imagined that one of his sons was killed in Iraq. I know that Mitt is a true patriot and probably would be willing to imagine all five of his sons killed in Iraq - painful though that might be.
How many defeatist liberals and other loony leftists would be willing to make such a sacrifice for our country?
And you thought the five Sullivan Brothers exemplified national service?
THEN we'd see how many unnecessary wars we ever get into again.