Iraq poised to become main Iranian ally
Mon. 29 May 2006

By TAREK AL-ISSAWI

Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - To Iran's west lies a natural ally and perhaps its
most potent weapon in the international fray over its nuclear program.
While Iran and Iraq were arch enemies during the rule of Saddam
Hussein, all signs point to an increasingly robust relationship now
that Shiites have achieved a dominant role in the Iraqi leadership.

It's a bond that has yet to reach its potential - in large part
because the U.S.-led invasion is responsible for Iraqi Shiites being
at the top of the political heap for the first time in modern history.
Iraqi Shiites are not looking the gift horse in the mouth.

But Iran and Iraq share a Shiite Muslim majority and deep cultural 
and historic ties, and Tehran's influence over its neighbor is growing.
Iran will likely try to use Iraq as a battleground if the United
States punishes Tehran economically or militarily, analysts say.

Many key positions in the Iraqi government now are occupied by men 
who took refuge in Iran to avoid oppression by the Saddam's former 
Sunni Muslim-dominated Baathist regime.

Iraq's powerful militias, meanwhile, have strong ties to Iran and have
deeply infiltrated Iraqi security forces. They can be expected to side
with Iran if the West should attack, said Paul Ingram of the British
American Security Information Council.

"Iran has ties with Iraq which have not been mobilized as they could
have been," Ingram said. "The militias based in Iraq received much of
their training from Iran and they have not taken any instructions
yet."

The Mahdi Army, loyal to firebrand anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada
al-Sadr, and the Badr Brigade, the military wing of the Supreme
Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, both have significant
links to Iran. The latter group is led by Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the
turbaned pro-Iranian cleric who headed the Shiite ticket that won
Iraq's national elections in January.

If Iran is attacked, "Iraqi Shiites will not take this lightly. They
will not sit and watch," said Diaa Rashwan, a Cairo-based analyst. 

[...]

Full article at "Iran Focus"
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=7386


Cheers, Steve..

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