Yeah, Sadr's pretty much all but admitted defeat. This is more Quds Force-led than the MSM would have us believe.

This whole nonsense about what McCain said about Iran and al Qaida, and the Dems' counterarguement using the imaginary Sunni-Shi'ite divide made me recall a quote, and a story.

The quote is from Abu Azzam al Tamimi, a former insurgent commander in the Islamic Army of Iraq: "(Iran) works with the (Iraqi)government, with the opponents of the government, with the opponents of the government's opponents, with al Qaida, with the enemies of al Qaida, with the militias, with the enemies of the militias... Iran spreads its investments everywhere... with the Shi'ites, the Sunnis, and the Kurds."

"Spreading investments everywhere" seems to be a good way to put it.

The story was about an older brother of a good friend, who was in the Green Berets for some time. He served all over. We got to talking about Iraq, and he mentioned how an Iraqi Kurdish mayor in the northern and peaceful province of Dahuk -- a mayor who was well known to have a friendly relationship with the West, and even had a photo of Bush Sr. hanging in his office -- was approached by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to "flip" against the United States. He was offered money, obviously, and threatened if he declined. My friend's brother told me the mayor did decline the offer, but did not elaborate further as to what happened to him. If Iran is willing to explore the possibility of working with this guy, of all people, what makes anyone think they wouldn't work with Sunni enemies of the U.S.?

The point shouldn't be lost and it's one you've been making for years: Iran works with anyone. Their cold lust to kill heretics trumps their desire to remain ideologically pure.

Mar 26, 2008 02:02 PM

You are right: television is bad for man’s grey cells because it does not only distort the facts but, above of all, abolishes the most elemental logic, that is, the normal way of mind’s working. It’s obvious that Iran wants Iraq weak because it is its historical enemy. Only American military presence keeps from unleashing a permanent war of all against all. Permanent war, like “permanent revolution”, is the natural (and “ideal”) state of all totalitarian regimes. So permanent war in Iraq has for totalitarian Iran a double reason: historical and ideal. But it’s not possible as long as Americans stay in Iraq. It’s another good reason for Americans not to go away from Iraq. In the Islamic world the violence is endemic but must be limited in any way, and only Americans can do it. It is their Fate of Guardians of Order. I don’t know if this fate is good or bad. As Hector says: “My doom has come upon me; let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter”.

Mar 26, 2008 02:26 PM

The other day a guy in TimeOnline weblog with virtually no knowledge of Khomeinist relationship with Al-Queda and many other terrorist groups operating in Iraq, Lebanon, and Ghaza strip, was attacking McCain for his statements. Today I noticed a picture in the news, which demonstrates very clearly that even slogans chanted by Mahdi Army terrorists are exported from Iran. During the arrival of the great darkness (Khomeinism) in Iran, the backwards used a word "Taghoot" against the Shah of Iran for being pro-West and pro-US. Now the same word has been displayed on this picture. The banner said" Al-Taghoot Jadid" which simply means "New Taghoot". Here is the link:
[news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Iraq-Nuri...]

ML:

Thanks Kourosh, very helpful indeed.

Mar 27, 2008 11:07 AM