Funny, but only now in the wake of the ISIL offensive in northern Iraq is Iran's role in Iraq getting more muscular:
The United States and Iran, which dueled viciously over Iraq during the years of U.S. occupation, suddenly seem to be working in tandem as they confront what both see as a common, even mortal enemy: Islamic State.
Air strikes by Iran inside Iraq in recent days are only the latest manifestation of an increasingly muscular role by Tehran in Baghdad's war against Sunni militants. During the administration of George W. Bush, such actions would be denounced as meddling.
Not now.
Yeah, and that bit in the article that minimized Iran's role in killing American troops (and Iraqis, remember) is not just something we "charged" Iran of doing. Iran supplied and supported those militias--including supplying those EFPs (explosively formed projectiles) that were so lethal to our vehicle crews.
But back to Iran, if Iran's role only now is getting muscular, I guess it wasn't the defeat of the monster Saddam that has given Iran an opening.
No, our absence for 2-1/2 years after we left in December 2011 made the threat so great that Iraqis are willing to get Iranian help to defeat it.
It should be no shock that Iran seeks influence in Iraq. Worry about revolutionary Iran's influence among Iraq's Shias was a major reason Saddam invaded Iran in 1980.
Until 2011, we provided the counter-weight that was crucial to helping the new Iraq resist Iranian efforts.
But not now.
Not with our new Iranian partner against ISIL; for Assad (we wouldn't want to give Syria to ISIL, right?); and soon, in another fake WMD deal with the mullahs about their nuclear ambitions.
We've virtually invited Iran into Iraq to resume their effort to create a Hezbollah-on-the-Tigris-and-Euphrates. Bush gave Obama a win in Iraq. And now President Obama is regifting it to Iran.
Ah, smart diplomacy. We see it practiced on us every day, it seems.
