U.S. and Iran Find Common Ground in Iraq’s Shiite Conflict ( NY Times Analysis...read with caution)

New York Times ^ | April 21, 2008 | JAMES GLANZ and ALISSA J. RUBIN

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

BAGHDAD — In the Iraqi government’s fight to subdue the Shiite militia of Moktada al-Sadr in the southern city of Basra, perhaps nothing reveals the complexities of the Iraq conflict more starkly than this: Iran and the United States find themselves on the same side.

The causes of this convergence boil down to the logic of self-interest, although it is logic in a place where even the most basic reasoning refuses to go in a straight line. In essence, though, the calculation by the United States is that it must back the government it helped to create and take the steps needed to protect American troops and civilian officials.

Iranian motivations appear to hinge on the possibility that Mr. Sadr’s political and military followers could gain power in provincial elections this fall, and disrupt the creation of a semiautonomous region in the south that the Iranians see as beneficial.

The American-Iranian convergence is all the more remarkable because of mutual animosity. The United States says that Iran has backed thousands of attacks on American troops in Iraq, bitterly opposes its nuclear program and has not ruled out bombing Iran if Iranian policies do not change. Meanwhile, at the level of senior officials at least, Iran takes quite seriously its depiction of the United States as the planet’s Great Satan.

But the two sides are making nice on the issue of fighting Mr. Sadr, one of Iraq’s most powerful Shiite clerics..

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Extending the Excerpt for an important sentence:

****************************

As Iraqi government soldiers took control of the last areas of Basra from Mr. Sadr’s militia on Saturday, concluding a monthlong effort, Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi Qumi, took the unusual step of expressing strong support for the government’s position and described Mr. Sadr’s fighters as outlaws

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Related thread:

IRAQ: Stuck in the middle - The United States has put itself in a dangerous spot --

AND

al-Sadr's followers refuse to disband militia in Iraq

[Proud_USA_Republican]

“and described Mr. Sadr’s fighters as outlaws.”

Yahh, such outlaws they trained and armed them.

[purpleraine]

Hasn’t this guy been to Iran several times for money and marching orders? Now they don’t like him?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yahh, such outlaws they trained and armed them.

Iran is denying that ....and the Media is NOT reporting anything different...and we see the Judith Miller article today in the LA Times....link at post #2.... IRAQ: Stuck in the middle - The United States has put itself in a dangerous spot --

[DJ Elliott]

I love that photo.

M1117s.
Only one Bde in the ISF has them and they were last located at Baghdad Airport.

1st National Police Mechanized Brigade has deployed to Basrah.

That makes it confirmed:
- 1st IA Div HQ from Anbar
- 1st Bde, 1st Div (-) from Anbar
- 3rd Bde, 1st Div from Diyala (homebase Anbar)
- 14th Bde, 4th Div from Salahadin
- 1st NP Mech Bde from Baghdad
- Karbala Emergency Response Bde from Karbala
- INP ERU Bn from Nasariyah (homebased Baghdad)
- Hillah SWAT Bn from Babil

Augmenting the 14th IA Division’s 50th, 51st, and 52nd Bdes, the 9th IA Div’s 36th Armor Bde and an ISOF Cdo Bn.

Only Baghdad has a larger concentration of ISF forces...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Let's get the Photo on here:

Iraqi armored vehicles in the Hayaniya district of Basra on Sunday, a day after soldiers took control of the former stronghold of the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr.

[endthematrix]

Nothing like lip service...just waiting out for open diplomacy with the USA. A State Department dream.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Do you read the Long War Journal?....

H/T for pointing to this :

Iran groups offering extra aid to Iraq rebels:(A US general said on Sunday)

[purpleraine]

Thanx

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Here is the thread that really lays out what the Iranians are doing:

Iranian Agents Directed Operations in Basra

****************EXCERPT*********************

And they organized the Insurgences .........

[llandres]

yes, and if you believe what Iran is saying, then have I got some swampland (I mean, prime real estate) to sell you in Florida. What am I missing here??? Al Sadr is shiite, Iran is shiite... sounds like a lot of rhetoric BS on Iran’s part. We’re not stupid enough to fall for it, are we?

[llandres]

Judith Miller, what a liberal twit.

[endthematrix]

We're back-channeling with Iran now. If the American peoples outcry wasn't so great, the administration would be having a televised summit in Tehran. A brokered peace is all within the desires of the Mullahs - they're need time to build a deploy a nuclear device.

[moneyrunner]

This is a typical NY Times "interpretive" piece. As a general rule, the Times is a good indicator. They are consistently wrong. If they say the sun is shining, take an umbrella. They still can't figure out why Mookie Sadr isn't winning in Basra. The NYT wonders why the media-consensus "winner" simply refuses to "win".

The idea that the US and Iran should cooperate is laughable, but it has a long history in the Times. Back in the day the Times was all for cooperation between the US and the Soviet Union. After all, we were racist and rotten while the Soviets could show us the way to social justice, and the benefits of central planning.

Now that the Soviets have disappeared, the Times is seeking other ideologies that we can emulate. Like the Gulag, Islam and sharia has a certain fascination to the wealthy perverts running the Times.

[tobyhill]

These Slimes are unbelievable. They’re hedging their bets the same way Iran is. Sadr got beat badly and now the Slimes are changing sides while still rooting for Iran.

[Allegra]

Outrageous! I should not be surprised that the NYT is trying to pass off this BS, but that's exactly what it is.

Iran is funding the Shiite militias, including the Mahdi Army and that's all there is to it.

Sadr has spent most of the last year in Iran. He may have been kicked out recently, but he has gone there for instructions and for sanctuary when things have gotten to hot for him in Iraq.

Iran might be able to play the leftists like a fiddle, but they're not fooling any of us who have more than two brain cells to rub together.

[Marine_Uncle]

The NYSlime can write as it wishes. The facts on the ground show Sadr is in for a major defeat. I would not be surprised if the Iraqi Security Council soon makes the decision for his arrest on charges of sedition etc..
He no longer provides any support to any of the major Shia parties and only continues to put them in a bad light or worse.
He has openly stuck his middle finger in Maliki's face to often.
In short he is better off sitting in a prison awaiting trial then left free to cause major problems within the Shia communities.
It now appears that a majority of Iraqi leaders across the political/cultural/sectarian divide have all reached an agreement that the Central Government must govern Iraq, and no single entity outside the laws of their constitution are permissible to interfere with short through long term goals.
I believe at this point all major players and of lesser posture understand Iraq requires the US and Coalition forces to stay in their country for another year or two, then allow for key units to stay for a long duration as relations are further solidified.
Sadr wants all foreign troops out of Iraq. He is in direct opposition to the will of the Iraqi Government.
Let us remember, the Iraqi have shown they can have the will to boot out a Prime Minister (Jafaari) who screwed the pouch. It would appear stupid for them to let Sadr continue to go on like he is running the show.
We should remember that in many areas of Iraq that Sadr has a strong connection, one will also find the people found the US and Coalition providing for their major water, electrical, medical, educational needs. In short the US showed far greater capacity to actually improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraq that otherwise regardless of what Sadr appears to represent did nothing for them. Sadr will not provide them with eventual around the clock electricity nor clean water and sewage etc.. The Iraqi government will in due time.