Iran's Iraqi Influence
Interesting:
In other words: President Bush's surge is not the sole reason for the decrease in violence in Iraq. This puts the Bush Administration in an interesting position: to admit this also acknowledges a (presumed) attempt by Iran to deescalate the tensions between them and the US; to deny Iran's level of influence in this instance raises the question: "Then why the 'World War III' reference?"
As it stands, Secretary of State Robert Gates says that "the jury's still out."
The Iranian government has decided "at the most senior levels" to rein in the violent Shiite militias it supports in Iraq, a move reflected in a sharp decrease in sophisticated roadside bomb attacks over the past several months, according to the State Department's top official on Iraq.
Tehran's decision does not necessarily mean the flow of those weapons from Iran has stopped, but the decline in their use and in overall attacks "has to be attributed to an Iranian policy decision," David M. Satterfield, Iraq coordinator and senior adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said in an interview.
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker said that the decision, "should [Tehran] choose to corroborate it in a direct fashion," would be "a good beginning" for a fourth round of talks between Crocker and his Iranian counterpart in Baghdad. Although the mid-December date scheduled for the talks was postponed, Crocker said he expects that the parties will convene "in the next couple of weeks."
In other words: President Bush's surge is not the sole reason for the decrease in violence in Iraq. This puts the Bush Administration in an interesting position: to admit this also acknowledges a (presumed) attempt by Iran to deescalate the tensions between them and the US; to deny Iran's level of influence in this instance raises the question: "Then why the 'World War III' reference?"
As it stands, Secretary of State Robert Gates says that "the jury's still out."
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