Two decades later – it’s still about Iran

MSNBC ^ | July 5, 2007 | Lt. Col. Rick Francona

[nuconvert]

Two decades later – it’s still about Iran

MILITARY ANALYSIS By Lt. Col. Rick Francona

July 5, 2007

It comes as no surprise that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force, the elite special operations unit, was involved in the January attack in Karbala that killed five American soldiers. The newer and somewhat surprising detail in the recent revelation by the American command in Baghdad is the direct participation of Lebanese Hezbollah operatives in Iraq. One of these fighters, Ali Musa Daqduq, was captured by American forces in March near Basrah.

According to Daqduq, he was sent to Iran in 2005 by the Qods Force to train Iraqis. This makes good sense. Daqduq, being Lebanese, speaks Arabic. Qods Force officers, being Iranian, speak Persian. Although many IRGC officers, especially those who have worked with Hezbollah members in Lebanon or trained them in Iran, speak Arabic, having a native speaker with on-the-ground experience fighting the Israelis in Lebanon is a hard set of credentials to top.

This recent revelation comes on the heels of Iran’s continuing provision of lethal weaponry to Shia militias, particularly the “explosively formed penetrator” that has killed over 100 American troops. This willingness to support terrorist operations in Iraq fits with Tehran’s longstanding support of the Syrian regime, Lebanese Hezbollah, Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Chechen rebels and Bosnian Muslims – and underscores the importance of Iran for future American policy in the Middle East and Persian Gulf.

We are fighting a proxy war in Iraq, a war between the United States and Iran. The winner will be the power broker in the Persian Gulf, source of much of the world’s oil. The success or failure of American policy in Iraq will determine how much influence we have with the Arab oil producers,

[nuconvert]

Closer to 3 decades later

[TexasCajun]

Thanks Jimma!

[rbg81]

Gee...wan’t our wise State Dept was trying to get Iran to actually help us out of Iraq by fostering regional stability. And only a few short months ago at that. I really have to shake my head in amazement at how we find Government officals who appear to have no common sense or regard for evidence. Oh, wait—they’re liberals (that explains it). It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic.

[BGHater]

Don't forget another Dem, Kermit Roosevelt jr. laid the seeds as well.

[TexasCajun]

I’m not familiar with this guy?

[BGHater]

He helped overthrow the PM of Iran in 53’ which led to 79’.

[kabar]

We did the right thing in helping along with the UK the overthrow of Mossadegh who was also supported by the Tudeh [Communist] Party. The overthrow of the Shah in 1979 would never have happened if Carter had not pressured the Shah to restrain Savak and not put down the opposition. Khomeini hijacked the Iranian Revolution and we now have a far more repressive and corrupt government than the Shah.

[SolidWood]

Kermit Roosevelt was part of the American-Iranian coup under the Republican Eisenhower Administration, which led to the downfall of Irans Prime Minister Mossadeq who was in cahoots with the Communists (Soviets) and the Islamists. They brought back to power the young Shah, who pursued his way of pro-American westernization of Iran.

People with an agenda or who fail to grasp what really what at stake in 1953 (Iran was at the verge of becoming a Communist or Islamist state) blame America for supporting the Shah.

Actually this coup saved Iran from becoming communist/islamist 25 years prior to the Revolution of 1979, and maintained Imperial Iran as an stabilizing force for the Middle East, during the critical time of the cold-war.

[elhombrelibre]

Ping about Iran’s over 20 years of terrorism, kidnapping, murder, war by proxy, etc.

[jveritas]

At the end we must do something about the Iranian terrorist regime.

[Marine_Uncle]

Gotta hit the rack soon. But we should remember that the many sunni dominant arab states are siding with us to keep Iran in check.
Iran knows full well it has no friends in the Mid East other then it's survival alliance with Syria which has to watch it's back.
As many of us have pointed out over a period of time, the Russkies are key to showing the Iranians they had better watched their six, for things can change in a blink of an eye and their eyes will be poked out.

[elhombrelibre]

The Sunni led governments disdain and fear Persian Iran, and they’ve good reason to feel insecure with so much of the work force in place like Saudi Arabia being Shia. Deep down inside, they know Israel is an enemy only because it exist. Iran is an enemy who may cause them not to exist. The Iran threat is much more urgent.

[Marine_Uncle]

"Deep down inside, they know Israel is an enemy only because it exist. Iran is an enemy who may cause them not to exist."
Well put.

[marksamuel]

“At the end we must do something about the Iranian terrorist regime.”

Yeah, but it seems that it is hard to find lasting solution after that. Because of modern technology and weapons the asymmetric warfare just makes all military solutions very tough. Gone are the golden age of the British when the western military superiarity was so great that it was possible to keep the area in control.