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folks, the long view is that we went into Iraq BECAUSE of Iran. That we're now just starting to see fresh weapons popping up on the battleground is not news.

Like Afghanistan before it, we had plenty 100% justifiable reasons to project our power to Iraq. As the world---still to this day---is wringing their hands worrying about the "unwinnable" war in Iraq, the US has been able to realize the ultimate intent of our multitheater strategy--the confrontation of Iranian (and Russian) regional power that has taunted us for almost 30 years.

Despite an colossal barrage of news stating the exact opposite, we are uniquely positioned to counter fascist rhetoric originating from Tehran. A belligerent Iran is proof positive that our pressure is working, not floundering.

The popular (and much derided) notion of the US "reaching out" to our enemies may be an incorrect reading of what's really happening. Instead, we may be setting the agenda Robert Oakley style--(to paraphrase) "America will help you steer events toward a peaceful resolution, but so help us, if you screw up your end, we'll bring this place down."

...the US has been able to realize the ultimate intent of our multitheater strategy--the confrontation of Iranian (and Russian) regional power that has taunted us for almost 30 years...

That's classic Rumsfeld. But without him, can we see it through? Does anyone left in our government grasp the situation?

You are absolutely right. After 9/11 Bush didn't have the political/diplomatic justification for going into Iran that we did for Iraq (e.g. UN resolutions etc.), but I do believe that he and his advisers understood that central contribution of Iran to the Middle East equation. What they didn't predict was how short the pledged bipartisanship would last, and how short peoples memories were for 9/11. Those factors have prevented a more aggressive approach toward Iran to date.

Incidentally, when the left started complaining about the Bush administration using the memory of 9/11 for political purposes, he should have hammered them with the facts. We should have been seeing images from that attack incessantly since then. That we haven't is the result of bending to the left, and now they control congress. Not a smart move.