[chilepepper]

in a conflict w/ iran the (often irani trained) insurgents will be very busy trying to hit the US assets (e.g. depots and airbases) in iraq rather than setting up IEDs on the roads hoping to make the US evening news. the flow of weapons from iran will start to dry up because iran will need them in iran as their armies are getting vaporized...

as for the assets in iraq impacting the conflict in iran, of course, but then without iraq power projection becomes much more difficult.

sort of like the "island hopping" strategy in WWII which was necessary for the US forces to get close enough to Japan to deliver the knockout blow.

[WoofDog123]

i assume airbases used for sorties from iraq to iran are in the middle of nowhere or otherwise easily secured perimeter bases, dont know that for fact but if not true then it boggles the mind.