Iran covers all its bets in neighboring Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/12476980.htm

BY WARREN P. STROBEL

Knight Ridder Newspapers


WASHINGTON - (KRT) - When rival Shiite Muslim factions battled in Iraqi cities this week in a worrisome new turn for the country's stability, neighboring Iran had little to lose: It supports both factions.

Iran has shrewdly pursued a strategy of "portfolio diversification" in Iraq. It backs a wide range of actors - even competing ones _with support, money and weapons to ensure that it has a say in Iraq's future, Western officials and analysts said.

"They are like lobbyists. They're spreading the money around, so whoever wins owes them," said Juan Cole, a University of Michigan professor and expert on Shiite Islam who's criticized U.S. policy in Iraq. snip

But Iran has spread its largesse far and wide, the officials and analysts said, in pursuing three main goals in Iraq: promoting Shiite political dominance, keeping the United States off-balance and avoiding all-out sectarian civil war on its western border.

So far, it's achieved all three.

Curious that this is the same tactic that Reagan and old man Bush used during the Iran/Iraq war. Support and arm both sides. That way we can't lose Reagan and Bush figured. Hmmm.

[Cha]

1. Law of Unintended Consequences?

Or Is this what the bushwa wanted?

[politicaholic]

2. The frosted side and wheat side of Iran...

hmmmm, they both leave a shitty taste in your mouth.

Hey Dubya, all of the tricks Iran has learned they learned from your asshole father. What do you have to say about that you dick?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. We taught them to do all of that??? Shocking!! lol..... nt.

[NorCalDem]

4. "so whoever wins owes them"

yep, sounds like a civil war to me! Anybody else?

[rodeodance]

5. the civil war has already started, yet Rummy is still looking for signs of

maybe it might be so.

[VegasWolf]

6. Getting the popcorn ready for the civil war.

:popcorn: