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IRAN'S BUSTED IRAQ BID (Iran's Quds unit failed to destabilize Iraq)
NY Post ^ | 04/10/08 | AMIR TAHERI

Posted on 4/10/2008, 9:23:16 AM by TigerLikesRooster

IRAN'S BUSTED IRAQ BID

By AMIR TAHERI

April 10, 2008 -- A GAMBLE that proved too costly. That's how analysts in Tehran describe events last month in Basra. Iran's state-run media have de facto confirmed that this was no spontaneous "uprising." Rather, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) tried to seize control of Iraq's second-largest city using local Shiite militias as a Trojan horse.

Tehran's decision to make the gamble was based on three assumptions:

* Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wouldn't have the courage to defend Basra at the risk of burning his bridges with the Islamic Republic in Iran.

* The international force would be in no position to intervene in the Basra battle. The British, who controlled Basra until last December, had no desire to return, especially if this meant getting involved in fighting. The Americans, meanwhile, never had enough troops to finish off al-Qaeda-in-Iraq, let alone fight Iran and its local militias on a new front.

* The Shiite clerical leadership in Najaf would oppose intervention by the new Iraqi security forces in a battle that could lead to heavy Shiite casualties.

The Iranian plan - developed by Revolutionary Guard's Quds (Jerusalem) unit, which is in charge of "exporting the Islamic Revolution" - aimed at a quick victory. To achieve that, Tehran spent vast sums persuading local Iraqi security personnel to switch sides or to remain neutral.

The hoped-for victory was to be achieved as part of a massive Shiite uprising spreading from Baghdad to the south via heartland cities such as Karbala, Kut and al-Amarah. A barrage of rockets and missiles against the "Green Zone" in Baghdad and armed attacks on a dozen police stations and Iraqi army barracks in the Shiite heartland were designed to keep the Maliki government under pressure.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: amirtaheri; iran; iraq; isf; quds; sadr; sistani
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1 posted on 4/10/2008, 9:23:16 AM by TigerLikesRooster
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To: nuconvert; FARS; AdmSmith

Ping!


2 posted on 4/10/2008, 9:24:10 AM by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

This sounds like it should be required reading for the Democrat leadership.


3 posted on 4/10/2008, 9:32:09 AM by Truth29
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I’d been waiting for his take on what had happened. I wish it had come out before Petraeus testified, so that the Democrats could have been routed. “Fiasco” —not quite.


4 posted on 4/10/2008, 9:34:02 AM by gusopol3
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Not that we needed convincing, but how many stories do you have to read like this before realizing that someone like Obama in the White House would be a total screaming disaster?


5 posted on 4/10/2008, 9:40:25 AM by Past Your Eyes (Bill Clinton: Life Member of the Liars' Club.)
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To: Past Your Eyes
To some people, no amount of reading would do.
6 posted on 4/10/2008, 9:43:20 AM by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: Past Your Eyes

just like Clinton. His policy of sanctions left Saddam twisting in the wind strategically with a hollowed out military that in no way stood as a regional power to confront Iran, hence Saddam’s continued shell game that he had WMD’s , just as he’d had to use them in the Iran-Iraq war. Iraq finally getting to the point it can stand up and fight. This is the point in the Viet Nam war where the Democrats yank the rug out from under the regime we supported and let the enemy win. Maybe not this time.


7 posted on 4/10/2008, 9:48:33 AM by gusopol3
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To: TigerLikesRooster

So this was Iran’s first attempt at a “Tet offensive” and predictably the MSM chimed in to give them the needed propaganda moral victory.

I knew there was more to this than the stupid MSM and there jihadist stringers were reporting, No wonder Maliki responded the way he did and more power to him. Iran wants to turn Iraq into Lebanon using the Mahdi militia as its front.


8 posted on 4/10/2008, 9:48:33 AM by federal
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To: gusopol3
I wish it had come out before Petraeus testified

The whole gambit was to have this "route" in advance of Petraeus' testimony which would lead to a US withdrawal. This operation was intended to be the Iraqi "Tet" offensive, but Iran wanted to do it on the "cheap" apparently.

The difference being that in this case, the Iraqi Army massed and headed south an overwhelming force and were in the process of taking apart Iran's whole presence, when Iran decided to cry uncle.

Despite what the international press was saying, internally, this also confirmed that Al Sadr is just a puppet of Iran and that has got to hurt. In the end, Maliki now has to finish taking apart the Madhi Army as they have been exposed as foreign agents.

9 posted on 4/10/2008, 10:02:02 AM by dalight
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To: TigerLikesRooster

bookmark for later.


10 posted on 4/10/2008, 10:21:20 AM by IrishCatholic (No local communist or socialist party chapter? Join the Democrats, it's the same thing.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
This was the first major shakeout of the ISF and, against Qud forces and inflitrators that took the Iranians years to deploy, it rose to task. The MSM is downplaying just how serious the Tehran mullahs were in trying to topple the Iraqi government. It doesn't want to give Bush any pretext.

Unfortunately, what is lost on the American public is proof of the fantastic job our troops are doing to stand-up Iraqi forces. :-(
11 posted on 4/10/2008, 10:23:02 AM by Thrownatbirth (.....Iraq Invasion fan since '91.)
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To: dalight
The whole gambit was to have this "route"

It's "rout" not "route". A "route" is a road or way. Your dispatcher "routes" you from A to B; a large army "routs" you.

FReepers please take notice! I don't know how many times I've seen this one.

That, and "poured over the documents" instead of the correct "pored over". "Poured over" suggests chocolate sauce or maple syrup.

</editkibitzing>

12 posted on 4/10/2008, 10:53:46 AM by lentulusgracchus ("Whatever." -- sinkspur)
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To: dalight
....in advance of Petraeus' testimony which would lead to a US withdrawal. This operation was intended to be the Iraqi "Tet" offensive....

Very plausible. And I shouldn't doubt that Howard Dean's initials are somewhere on the Iranian op-order. He was on Tavis Smiley last night -- what a maroon. I'm really tired of Smiley playing "amen corner" for all these Dims with my money. Of course, Bill Moyers is the real pain in the ass. We get 90 minutes of his stuff every Friday night, between him and his altar-boy Brancaccio.

13 posted on 4/10/2008, 10:57:28 AM by lentulusgracchus ("Whatever." -- sinkspur)
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To: lentulusgracchus

It’s a hopeless cause. But sometimes you just have to chime in. I heard Rush call the Democrats “nimrods” yesterday. Apparently he doesn’t know that Nimrod is/was a mighty hunter.


14 posted on 4/10/2008, 11:03:58 AM by Past Your Eyes (Bill Clinton: Life Member of the Liars' Club.)
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To: lentulusgracchus
hey (not hay), your (not you're) tagline, please fill in the blanks if you know "whatever" -happened - to Sinkspur.
15 posted on 4/10/2008, 11:11:34 AM by gusopol3
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To: lentulusgracchus
Some of the chronic mispellings on FR play fast and lose with the English language and make me want to loose my mind

Leni

16 posted on 4/10/2008, 11:19:28 AM by MinuteGal (I Love My Country More Than I Dislike John McCain)
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To: Past Your Eyes
Apparently he doesn’t know that Nimrod is/was a mighty hunter.

Ever since Bugs Bunny applied the name to an opponent, the scriptural Nimrod has had a tough row to hoe. Nevertheless, when it comes to today's democrats, "nimrod," "maroon," "nincowpoop" and "im-bessel" are applicable, if overly mild.

Mr. niteowl77

17 posted on 4/10/2008, 11:32:03 AM by niteowl77
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Very interesting article. Should be required reading for our Congress and Senate before they call for the troops to leave Iraq.


18 posted on 4/10/2008, 11:33:28 AM by AmericaUnite
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To: AmericaUnite; All

What I dont understand is how Iran can carry out operations like this and yet continue to deny any involvement in Iraqs destabilization. Even Maliki has sent representatives to Iran to say “Please stop meddling in our affairs.” It reminds me of a bully beating someone up on the street, and every time police show up saying “I had nothing to do with it.” Iran REALLY needs to have its clock cleaned!


19 posted on 4/10/2008, 11:53:11 AM by wingsof liberty
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To: lentulusgracchus
“It's “rout” not “route”. A “route” is a road or way. Your dispatcher “routes” you from A to B; a large army “routs” you.

FReepers please take notice! I don't know how many times I've seen this one.

That, and “poured over the documents” instead of the correct “pored over”. “Poured over” suggests chocolate sauce or maple syrup.”

Oooh — don't forget the “this is very series” instead of Serious. :-)

20 posted on 4/10/2008, 12:32:46 PM by Londo Molari
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