Posted on 06/13/2014 4:55:56 AM PDT by huldah1776
Shi'te Muslim Iran is so alarmed by Sunni insurgent gains in Iraq that it may be willing to cooperate with Washington in helping Baghdad fight back, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
The idea is being discussed internally among the Islamic Republic's leadership, the senior Iranian official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official had no word on whether the idea had been raised with any other party.
Officials say Iran will send its neighbour advisers and weaponry, although probably not troops, to help its ally Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki check what Tehran sees as a profound threat to regional stability, officials and analysts say.
Islamist militants have captured swathes of territory including the country's second biggest city Mosul.
Tehran is open to the possibility of working with the United States to support Baghdad, the senior official said.
"We can work with Americans to end the insurgency in the Middle East," the official said, referring to events in Iraq.
"We are very influential in Iraq, Syria and many other countries."
For many years, Iran has been aggrieved by what it sees as U.S. efforts to marginalise it. Tehran wants to be recognised as a significant player in regional security.
Relations between Iran and Washington have improved modestly since the 2013 election of President Hassan Rouhani, who promised "constructive engagement" with the world.
And while Tehran and the United States pursue talks to resolve the Islamic state's decade-old nuclear standoff with the West, they also acknowledge some common threats, including the rise of al Qaeda-style militancy across the Middle East.
On Thursday, President Barack Obama said the United States was not ruling out air strikes to help Baghdad fight the insurgents, in what would be the first U.S. armed intervention in Iraq since the end of the U.S.-led war.
Rouhani on Thursday strongly condemned what he called violent acts by insurgent groups in the Middle East.
"Today, in our region, unfortunately, we are witnessing violence, killing, terror and displacement," Rouhani said.
" Iran will not tolerate the terror and violence ... we will fight against terrorism, factionalism and violence."
Asked on Thursday about Iranian comments, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "Clearly, we've encouraged them in many cases to play a constructive role. But I don't have any other readouts or views from our end to portray here today."
Fearing Iraq's war could spill into Iran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the international community to back Maliki's administration "in its fight against terrorism".
Brigadier-General Mohammad Hejazi said Iran was ready to supply Iraq with "military equipment or consultations," the Tasnim news agency reported. "I do not think the deployment of Iranian troops would be necessary," he was quoted as adding.
The senior Iranian official said Iran was extremely worried about the advance of ISIL, also a major force in the war against Iran's close ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, carving out a swathe of Syria territory along the Iraqi border.
"The danger of extremist Sunni terrorist in Iraq and the region is increasing ... There have been several high-ranking security meetings since yesterday in Tehran," the official said.
"We are on alert and we also follow the developments in Iraq very closely."
photo at link shows the terrorists using modern equipment. Leave no truck, tank, MRAP behind.
I was going to give this one it’s own thread but hey, it’s all the same event. The AP pic “shows fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marching in Raqqa, Syria.” So we arm them to the teeth and they sit around the campfire making s’mores? Iraq is the path of least resistance. I wonder if the “rebels” from Yemen and all the other training camps are going to join in and re-group.
I think ISIS scares everybody in the neighborhood and will lead them to deal with it themselves. I can even see Israel unofficially aligning themselves with Iran, Syria, and Jordan out of their own self interests.
Iraq would end up divided along Sunni Shia lines but its in reality it already is.
We need another reset button. / s
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
These loser potentates always want to hire the US Army as their mercenaries.
Eff that bigtime
How about no
ISIS just better look out, or Michelle Obama will authorize military grade hash tags.
Iran is probably Iraq’s only hope now.
We spend billions training Iraqi military officers and Iraq’s president Maliki fired them all, probably fearing a coup.
Iran having a Shiite majority already has military forces fighting ISIS (Sunni) in Syria along side their proxy Hezzbulah.
This blood feud dates from the beginning of Islam, a tribe that would later be Sunni’s from Syria beheaded Mohammed’s grandson (thee Mohammed) and brought his head to Damascus as a trophy. Sunni’s broke the blood line of the prophet, this is why zealous Shiites will kill Syrian Sunni’s with zeal. It dates back to the four caliph, under the fourth successor to Mohammed, Mohammed’s cousin...also his son-in-law. Mohammed’s cousin married Mohammed’s daughter Fatima, their son and aire to the Islamic caliphate was killed by a tribe from present day Syria who would later identify as Sunni.
This is going to blow up to new heights. Iran is going to invade...er help Iraq militarily and TAKE IT OVER. What a waste of manpower and money GW made of this to finish what his daddy didn’t have the balls to finish. There is 20 years of blame to go around, but it will fall on Zero’s shoulders.
History will put the blame on him and his minions. God help us all when Israel steps in this foray and nukes them all.
Now I am really thinking we should stay out of it. A massive new Iran Iraq war might be the best thing we can hope for.
I don’t like the sun is or shittes, but I have sympathy for the Kurds. If we had a decent president, he would send them weapons and training and surveillance.
Biden’s only good idea was to divide that country into 3 new nations, but he was ridiculed more for that than many of his real gaffes.
http://thefederalist.com/2014/06/13/obamas-wish-fulfilling-prophecy-in-iraq/
But what were we going to do about it? President Obama had also failed to negotiate an agreement to keep 10,000 US troops in Iraq. The only message he was sending to Baghdad was that he wanted to wash his hands of Iraq as soon as a possible. So he had no political leverage to use with Maliki.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/01/24/biden-reveals-why-the-obama-administration-abandoned-iraq/
Well this is a golden opportunity to really piss of the Saudi’s and bring about the downfall of the US dollar. I am sure it is very tempting offer.
ISIS is like a rabid dog that attacks anything and everything close enough and frightens all things rational.
Dear Iranian Mullahs, you too have been duped by Obama. You think he’ll defend American interests and help American allies. Wrong! Obama ain’t gonna fight back. He sees this as a success: American influence down, American military out = the most peaceful the world has ever been. Success.
Stay away America. Far, far away.
The Moslems are killing each other. What could be better than that?
Support Israel and leave the rest alone. Jesus will take care of it when he returns.
Your enemy is my friend? Or something....
Fitzy_888, thanks for this excellent summary of what has been going on for centuries and is boiling over again:
This blood feud dates from the beginning of Islam, a tribe that would later be Sunni’s from Syria beheaded Mohammed’s grandson (thee Mohammed) and brought his head to Damascus as a trophy. Sunni’s broke the blood line of the prophet, this is why zealous Shiites will kill Syrian Sunni’s with zeal. It dates back to the four caliph, under the fourth successor to Mohammed, Mohammed’s cousin...also his son-in-law. Mohammed’s cousin married Mohammed’s daughter Fatima, their son and aire to the Islamic caliphate was killed by a tribe from present day Syria who would later identify as Sunni.
Iran having a Shiite majority already has military forces fighting ISIS (Sunni) in Syria along side their proxy Hezzbulah.
They actually believe there is a difference between Sunni terror and Shia terror.
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