Iran emerging as victor in Syrian conflict

Washington Post ^ | June 11, 2013 | Liz Sly

[C19fan]

As fighters with Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement wage the battles that are helping Syria’s regime survive, their chief sponsor, Iran, is emerging as the biggest victor in the wider regional struggle for influence that the Syrian conflict has become.

With President Obama set to host a White House meeting of top national security aides on Wednesday to reassess options in light of recent setbacks for the rebels seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the long-term outcome of the war remains far from assured, analysts and military experts say.

.........................................................

After videos surfaced in March of Islamist groups wielding antitank weapons funneled across the Jordanian border by Saudi Arabia, the United States imposed a freeze on all further deliveries, putting the rebels at a disadvantage just as Iran, through Hezbollah, was gearing up to rejuvenate the Assad regime’s army with reinforcements, according to rebel leaders.

[C19fan]

Analogy with the Spanish Civil War: Iran = Nazi Germany/Fascist Italy US = Great Britain/France

Leave it to the Obama administration to hand Iran its greatest strategic victory since the Revolution in 1979.

[Perdogg]

I have been saying this ever since this started that Iran was not going to lose a sphere of influence.

[Olog-hai]

That was certainly correct.

Whether people realize it or not, what happened in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya was a great expansion of Iran’s sphere of influence. And now they’re working on Ethiopia, with the Nile Dam issue being the current point of contention.

[arthurus]

In the Syrian mess either likely, or perhaps, either possible outcome is inimical to the USA. If the Sunni/AQ side wins then the anti Israel anti US Sunni bloc will increase in power. If Iran/Assad wins then the anti Israel anti US Shia/Persian bloc increases in power. The rational move, and the one that would do the most to put a brake on Jihad in both its Sunni and Shia varieties would be to bomb hell out of Syria- all sides- and overwhelmingy invade, NOT to win hearts and minds but to thoroughly subjugate the political factions and totally eliminate conventional military assets. Then run the place as a colony. We would then protect the various minorities; Christian, Jewish-yes, there are still a few- Alawite, Druze, et cetera, as Assad has done, and thoroughly squash mainline sunni and shia factions and populations.

But that's only if the USA desires to prevail, or only to avoid the nuclear Islamic War or the obommunist transfer of moslem population to the US and islamification of the country that is in future prospect

[arthurus]

That’s the obommunist/Bush/RINO transfer of moslem populations to the USA-

[alloysteel]

The worldwide Caliphate is taking shape, and it will be Shi’ite.

In so many ways.

[Para-Ord.45]

Lesser of two evils.

The other winner would have been obama and al-qaeda.

[Hiddigeigei]

Analogy with the Spanish Civil War: Iran = Nazi Germany/Fascist Italy US = Great Britain/France

You left out the Soviet Union in your analogy with the Spanish Civil War.

[krogers58]

I am curious as to whether our wizards at the NSA, CIA, and DIA have figured out that Iran is also behind the destabilizing riots in Turkey? It is payback for Turkey’s attempted involvement in Syria. The lesson to be learned here, is if you are going to intervene in a country’s civil war, do it openly and with overwhelming force such that you win. This leading from behind got lucky in Libya, but will not be successful again.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks C19fan.

[PapaBear3625]

Analogy with the Spanish Civil War: Iran = Nazi Germany/Fascist Italy US = Great Britain/France

The Spanish Civil War was primarily between forces allied with the Fascists and the forces allied with the Communists.

Similarly, in a conflict between Sunni and Shiite, there are no good guys. The ideal outcome for the US would be for the Syrian conflict to use up the supply of al Queda fighters.