Posted on 10/22/2014 12:17:10 PM PDT by Sean_Anthony
The next few months will be decisive for the Iranian regime, which sees a strategic defeat looming on the horizon as all of its red lines in the Middle East are being trampled
After years of enjoying the position of the main hegemon in Iraq and Syria, Iran is now facing an escalating dilemma as other powers have entered the scene to deal with the rising threat of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL), an extremist group which has occupied stretches of Iraqi and Syrian territory in the past months.
Previously, Iran had taken advantage of the chaos in Iraq and Syria and the non-interventionist policy of the West to strengthen its hold in both countries and form a “Shiite Crescent” through Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
But as the international community realized that the threat posed by the Islamic State cannot be dismissed and got ready to face it in earnest, Iran risked losing its position as the main power broker in the region. The Iranian regime attempted to lead the international community into believing that Iran and its allies would be crucial to contain and eliminate the threat posed by the group.
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
Someone needs to buy Obama a globe. Even if it wasn’t his intention, Bush went a long way toward containing Iran back in the early 2000’s by invading both Afghanistan and Iraq. Look at that globe Obozo! What country is pretty much completely surrounded by US troops if we have a major presence in both Afghanistan and Iraq? What country has posed the greatest threat to ascend to hegemony in the Middle East over the past couple of decades. The answer to both of these is the same.
I don’t know if it was Bush’s intention, but he pretty well constrained a dangerous country with simultaneous invasions of its eastern and western neighbors.
> Previously, Iran had taken advantage of the chaos in Iraq and Syria and the non-interventionist policy of the West to strengthen its hold in both countries and form a “Shiite Crescent” through Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
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