Iraq, Jordan See Threat To Elections From Iran

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/washpost/20041208/ts_washpost/a43980_2004dec7&cid=1802&ncid=1478

The leaders of Iraq (news - web sites) and Jordan warned yesterday that Iran is trying to influence the Iraqi elections scheduled for Jan. 30 to create an Islamic government that would dramatically shift the geopolitical balance between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the Middle East.

Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar charged that Iran is coaching candidates and political parties sympathetic to Tehran and pouring "huge amounts of money" into the campaign to produce a Shiite-dominated government similar to Iran's.

Jordanian King Abdullah said that more than 1 million Iranians have crossed the 910-mile border into Iraq, many to vote in the election -- with the encouragement of the Iranian government. "I'm sure there's a lot of people, a lot of Iranians in there that will be used as part of the polls to influence the outcome," he said in an interview.

The king also charged that Iranians are paying salaries and providing welfare to unemployed Iraqis to build pro-Iranian public sentiment. Some Iranians, he added, have been trained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and are members of militias that could fuel trouble in Iraq after the election.

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[bemildred]

1. Heaven forfend. Who could have forseen this?

Let's hope the "voters" didn't bring any weapons with them.
Sneaky idea that, too, helping people to gain their support.
Why didn't we think of that, anyway?

[wtmusic]

2. There might be 'trouble' after the elections?

We better deal with Iran now then--don't wany no 'trouble' in Iraq