Posted on 08/18/2014 11:37:35 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
As American forces continue to mount airstrikes on Islamic State positions around the key Mosul dam in support of Kurdish forces, it appears that Iran is prepared to increase its military support for Iraq’s Shia in the south and east.
An unconfirmed report in Iraqi News indicates that Iranian Revolutionary Guards forces are preparing to insert heavy armor into Iraq.
According to an informed source, tanks and armored vehicles belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are mobilizing to enter the Khanaqin district with the aim of the concentration in areas with Shiite majority north of the capital Baghdad and hit the insurgent of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
The source said that a convoy of tanks and armored vehicles moved through Serpil Zahab, a way to enter Iraq through the border crossing, which links between the two countries from Khanaqin district.
The source added that the Iranian forces will go to the areas which witnessed fighting between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and militants of ISIL such as Jalawla, which had fallen to the insurgents recently. It is believed that the Iranians want to flush out the militants and deliver these areas to the Peshmerga fighters.
As if American negotiations with Iran over their nuclear program were not complicated enough by Washington’s reliance on an increasingly unhelpful and expansionist Russia to act as a mediator, American dependence on Tehran to serve as stabilizing force in Iraq is probably going to gum up the works in Vienna even further.
Reuters previously reported that, while Iran officially denies that its forces are engaging in combat operations inside Iraq, the recent deaths of Iranian fighters inside the neighboring country “shows that Iran has committed boots on the ground to defend Iraqi territory.”
“Regional experts believe the Revolutionary Guards have increased the supply of weapons and funds to proxy militant groups inside Iraq in recent weeks,” Reuters further reported.
American cooperation with Iran in Iraq is not merely limited to military operations. Last week, Iran withdrew its support for embattled former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and backed his chosen successor, Haider al-Abadi.
Abadi himself, long exiled in Britain, is seen as a far less polarising, sectarian figure than Maliki, who is also from the Shi’ite Islamic Dawa party. Abadi appears to have the blessing of Iraq’s powerful Shi’ite clergy, a major force since U.S. troops toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.
If and when the ISIS threat is diminished in Iraq, Iran will have established a foothold in Iraq which the West will find difficult to dislodge. When the fighting subsides, maybe Tehran will show they have learned from America’s mistakes and will negotiate a long-term status of forces agreement to ensure the gains they have made are not so easily lost.
Notice the seeming support for Iran keeping forces in Iraq after this skirmish.
Sure didn’t see any support for that when we had the place stabilized.
Damn shame too. Now look at the mess, and what it will likely turn into.
al-Baraq may as well go TV and bugger the water spaniel he named after himself.
That couldn’t be any worse than the presidentin’ he’s doing out there on the links.
You do great work, BHØ, great work.
Obama and Jarrett have always been on the side of Iran (in its current mullah-state incarnation. This is partially because it is the most extreme Islamic state they can find, and because Barry admires leftist dictators.
Isn’t it interesting the calm way Iran is described invading Iraq. I will have to say, the Iraqis sure aren’t defending themselves here. Something sure smells rotten about that. Do they really want to become a radical ISIS/ISIL territory?
Evidently doesn’t bother them much.
Yeah....It sure is.
I have never heard of a "Partial Invasion"
Is that similar to "A little Bit Pregnant?"
Iran may be getting everything they want with US approval.
Soon they wil have the bomb too, with US approval and then the world begins to really unravel.
Thanks BHO.
Essentially, this could leave Iran in a one state solution owning Iraq in total.
Ah, no problem evidently.
Think they would stop at Iraq?
They could simple become the replacement for ISIS as they set up their regional Kalifate.
Yeah...Everything but the Kurdish region could be done in a day.
Obama will not stand in the way...He would not even flinch, except to say a few fake words of disapproval...for public consumption.
He really IS evil incarnate.
I agree. Carter gave them Iran, and Obama wants to give Iran the rest. Seems so anyway.
You know, I don’t near much out of the crowd that thinks there’s no vested interest for the United States over there. I wonder how that pipe dream is doing these days.
Yeah.....they have been quiet....maybe too busy with the Ukraine.
LOL, could be...
I knew this was coming!
And how nice for Barry that everyone is focused on a flyspeck town near St. Louis, huh?
If you were in Iraq’s Shia majority, would you expect a new sunni-infused “inclusive” government and army to defend you?
Many of the Shia villagers and chiefs can recognize the faces and names of sunni and former saddamites in the new “inclusive” government and army, who have tormented tortured and killed shia for the past 2 decades. al Maliki’s own tribal family was wiped out by sunni thugs with whom he was expected to make nice after buraq Hussein cut and ran
the US and Britain as protectors? Cut and ran
No wonder Iranian support is acceptable to them
Is it an invasion if they are invited in? I don’t hear the Shiite government of Iraq complaining. Didn’t they sign a treaty of cooperation with Iraq?
My hope is we can stabilize the Kurdish area, and ISIL and the Iranians will slaughter each other for a long time to come.
Okay Silverleaf, I think those are reasoned comments.
The government was made up of a cross section of sects though. These people did have representation. In addition, there haven’t been any massive purges of politicians or members of the population.
I was not happy with Maliki’s appointment. He was a freaking immigrant to Iran for up to 20 years. I don’t remember exactly. He sure wasn’t someone to be trusted by our side either. I thought this was one major f/u by Bush.
I’ve remained quiet about it. I thought there might be a reason I was not aware of. For all my supposed trashing of the guy, I gave him this one.
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