Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Who calls the shots in Iraq?


Reports on al-Maliki's visit to Tehran have overplayed the extent of Iran's regional influence

I disagree with Sami Ramadani about this article, but I am posting it anyway.

Sami Ramadani
The Guardian
, Wednesday 20 October 2010

"....Second, there are other players, Iraqi and regional, who are keen on exaggerating Iran's influence in Iraq. Saddam loyalists, for example, who insist that Iran is a greater danger to Iraq than American occupation. Or the myriad Iraqi politicians who believe that hostility to Iran is their ticket to gaining US backing. Even the Islamic Supreme Council, a sectarian party led by the Shia cleric Ammar al-Hakimwhose forces were stationed in Iran before 2003 – have been drawn into the realities of US domination and been distancing themselves from the more anti-US Iranians, led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iraqis are reminded daily that it is the US, not Iran, which is the foremost foreign influence in their country. They also know that, despite promises to the contrary, strategic interests are such that the US will endeavour to maintain its presence in Iraq beyond the deadline of 2011, by trying to secure a pro‑Washington regime in Baghdad.[and what is it exactly that Iran is trying to do by bullying everyone to back the puppet Maliki, Mr. Ramadani?]"

No comments: