Al-Qaeda in Iraq group claims embassy bombings
A militant group linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq has said it was behind Sunday's triple bombings in Baghdad which killed 40 people near foreign embassies.
Troops kill 15 militants in NW Pakistan: officials
Pakistani troops killed at least 15 militants in a gunfight after an attack on a checkpoint in a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said Friday. The clash took place in Bezot Khel village in Orakzai tribal district overnight, where troops are hunting Taliban insurgents.
Iran minister: US hikers 'had intelligence links'
Iran's intelligence minister has said there is evidence that three US hikers it is holding had links to intelligence agencies, according to Iran's Press TV.
An Iraqi soldier stands guard in front of a poster of former Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi in Baghdad. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's calls for a recount of votes from Iraq's polls were on Sunday rebuffed by its election commission, amid a tight race to form the biggest bloc in parliament. (AFP/Ali al-Saadi)
Prime minister warns of violence, but election board rejects call for recount
As new results from this month's election continued to show a neck-and-neck race, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday issued a strongly worded warning that without a nationwide recount, the country could descend into violence. The electoral commission quickly rejected the request, saying a recount would be neither necessary nor feasible.
Iraq’s Premier Endorses a Recount of the Vote
Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki endorsed the mounting calls for a recount of Iraq’s parliamentary election, as the latest results on Sunday showed his main competitor with a slight lead.
Drone strike kills eight in North Waziristan
A US drone aircraft fired two missiles into an al Qaeda and Taliban hideout in North Waziristan on Sunday, killing eight terrorists, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
Afghan bomb attacks kill at least 12 civilians
A suicide bomber killed 10 civilians on Sunday when he detonated his explosives near a crowd in southern Afghanistan, while a roadside bomb in the east killed two others, officials said.
Analysts say US-Israel Relationship Scarred by Settlements Dispute
Middle East analysts are expressing concern a disagreement between the United States and Israel over Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem will leave scars in the relationship and may raise the risk of Israeli military strikes against Iran's nuclear program.
US moves to calm spat with Israel over settlements
Allawi edges ahead of al-Maliki in Iraq vote count
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's bloc has edged ahead of the coalition led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Iraq's parliamentary vote, election officials announced.
Followers of Sadr Emerge Stronger After Iraq Elections
The followers of Moktada al-Sadr, a radical cleric who led the Shiite insurgency against the American occupation, have emerged as Iraq’s equivalent of Lazarus in elections last week, defying ritual predictions of their demise and now threatening to realign the nation’s balance of power.
US missile strikes kill seven in Pakistan
US missile strikes killed at least seven militants in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, as attackers armed with rockets and petrol bombs killed five policemen in a pre-dawn ambush.
Why the U.S. must talk to the Taliban
While the Obama administration is watching the battlefield in Afghanistan, hoping for a quick weakening of the Taliban, regional powers are ratcheting up tensions in and outside that country. Pakistan and Iran in particular want to ensure that by the time the United States is ready to talk to the Taliban, the region's future will already be shaped by local powers, limiting Washington's options. Afghanistan's ethnic and sectarian divisions are being exacerbated in the process.
Tehran aiding al Qaeda links, Petraeus says
Iran is assisting al Qaeda by facilitating links between senior terrorist leaders and affiliate groups, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East told Congress on Tuesday.
We don't want proxy wars in Afghanistan, Karzai says
Afghanistan does not want a proxy war between Pakistan and India or anybody else fought on its soil, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday during a visit to Pakistan.
Gates: Iran support for Taliban 'pretty limited'
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that Iranian support for the Taliban in Afghanistan is "pretty limited" — so far. Gates noted that he had a public exchange of barbs with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week over which country is doing harm in Afghanistan. He had accused Tehran of undermining U.S. and NATO efforts by helping the Taliban.
Drone Strikes Kill 21 in Pakistan
Two drone strikes since Monday in North Waziristan have killed at least 21 people, possibly including a top local commander, said a Pakistan security official and residents of the area, a stronghold of Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
No-Fly List Includes the Dead
The government’s no-fly list includes the names of dead suspects to help catch people who may try to assume the suspect’s identity, according to government officials who spoke with The Associated Press.
Taliban defectors accept U.S. approach but wait for promises to be kept
As the Taliban commander in the Pusht-e-Zargon district of western Afghanistan, Abdul Wahab considered himself the law. A stolen sheep? He would choose the thief's punishment: often a gunshot to the forearm or calf muscle. He was careful to avoid the bone.
Indian media downbeat over Pakistan talks
Indian newspapers have extensively covered the first formal official talks between India and Pakistan since the Mumbai (Bombay) attacks of 2008.
Iran, Syria mock U.S. policy; Ahmadinejad speaks of Israel's 'annihilation'
The presidents of Iran and Syria on Thursday ridiculed U.S. policy in the region and pledged to create a Middle East "without Zionists," combining a slap at recent U.S. overtures and a threat to Israel with an endorsement of one of the region's defining alliances.
Dubai hit squad underestimated police: expert
A former top level US intelligence official says the assassination in Dubai of a Hamas operative has all the hallmarks of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad.
Iraq anti-Baath panel moves to purge security forces
The panel names 580 security officers alleged to have ties to the former ruling party. The move, after hundreds of election candidates were barred on similar charges, is likely to raise tensions.
Iraq to Rehire 20,000 Hussein-Era Army Officers
The Iraqi government said Thursday that it would reinstate 20,000 army officers who served under Saddam Hussein, a surprising move given that Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has focused his campaign in the coming parliamentary elections around denouncing the former Baath government.
Sectarian tensions rise before Iraq elections
A popular Sunni political party backtracked on Thursday from plans to boycott Iraq's parliamentary elections even as rivals threatened to have the party's leader charged with terrorism.
'Pakistan serious on improving India ties'
Pakistan's foreign minister said Tuesday that his country was serious about improving relations with India, ahead of the first official talks between the South Asian rivals in more than a year.
Spike in Iraq Violence as Vote Nears
A series of bombings, beheadings and shootings rippled through Iraq on Monday, leaving at least 23 people dead, including 9 children, and intensifying concern about a spike in violence with less than two weeks until national elections.
Iran calls on IAEA not to surrender to will of certain states
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said Sunday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should not surrender to the will of certain states over Iran's nuclear program, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Sunni party vows to boycott Iraqi elections
The Iraqi National Dialogue Front, whose leader was barred from running for parliament, cites 'Iranian interference' for its decision.
Abu Sayyaf commander killed in raid
Albader Parad, one of the Philippines's most wanted Abu Sayyaf leaders, has been confirmed killed in fighting with the military in the country's south, sources told Al Jazeera.
Afghan and international forces are reported to be planning for a major military assault against the Taliban in Kunduz, a northern province, along the lines of Operation Moshtarak under way in Helmand.
Marines still looking over shoulder for Taliban
It's only been six days since NATO launched a major assault against the Taliban and some Afghans are already asking Marines when they can reopen their shops.
Taliban town residents skeptical of NATO promises
The Taliban's white flag no longer flies over villages across this militant stronghold. Afghan and NATO troops have replaced it with Afghanistan's official green-and-red banner, which they promise heralds new schools and clinics and good governance.
Insurgents put up resistance in Taliban town
U.S. Marines pummeled insurgents with mortars, sniper fire and missiles as fighting intensified Thursday in two areas of the Taliban southern stronghold of Marjah, where U.S. and Afghan forces are facing stubborn resistance in an operation now in its sixth day.
Suicide bomber kills 11 in Iraq's Anbar province
A suicide bomber killed at least 11 people and wounded 21 others on Thursday in Iraq's increasingly turbulent western Anbar province, a senior Iraqi army official and police said.
Iran Continues to Subvert Iraq, Officials Say
As national elections in Iraq loom on the horizon, Iran continues to subvert its western neighbor’s security and political infrastructure, top American military officials said. Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the top American commander in Iraq, said Iran aims to foment violence in Iraq and to play diplomatic and other nonmilitary roles that call into question Iran’s respect for Iraqi sovereignty.
U.N. officials criticize U.S. restrictions on aid to Somalia
U.N. officials on Wednesday ratcheted up their criticism of U.S. policy in Somalia, declaring that recent restrictions intended to prevent al-Qaeda-linked Somali Islamists from gaining strength are holding up humanitarian aid to some of the world's most desperate people.
Iran leader accuses U.S. of "war-mongering"
Iran's supreme leader accused the United States on Wednesday of war-mongering and of turning the Gulf into an "arms depot", hitting back at U.S. accusations that the Islamic state was moving toward a military dictatorship.
Al Qaeda warns of attacks in India
Global terror network Al Qaeda’s Pakistan arm has warned of attacks in India, particularly targeting upcoming international sports events like the Commonwealth Games, the Hockey World Cup and the IPL cricket league.
General Says 2 Iraq Politicians Have Ties to Iran
General Odierno was unusually blunt in publicly expressing concerns about the actions of the two Iraqis: Ahmed Chalabi, who was a confidant of Bush administration officials in the prelude to the 2003 invasion but now is perceived as having supplied false intelligence to the United States; and Ali Faisal al-Lami, suspected of involvement in murderous activities of Shiite militants, including a bombing in Baghdad, accusations that he denies.
Iran Has Designs on Iraq
Vice President Joe Biden recently told Larry King that Iraq "could be one of the great achievements of this administration." Mr. Biden's transparent attempt to take credit for Bush administration policies aside, it's worth asking how exactly does the Obama administration define success in Iraq?
Just weeks before elections, specter of sectarian violence resurfaces in Iraq
It was only one killing, but it unleashed the demons of a bitter and perhaps unfinished past. The victim was a Sunni man in the mostly Shiite neighborhood of Hurriyah, in northwest Baghdad. The death and the aftermath were reminiscent of the prelude to the sectarian war, which began in late 2005 with a smattering of killings and threats and culminated with 100 bodies a day being dumped in the streets of the capital. With the imminent departure of American forces and fierce competition for power ahead of general elections on March 7, many here say sectarian strife is reigniting.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Brader, described as the senior Taliban military commander who managed the day-to-day operations of the group's leadership council, the Quetta Shura, has reportedly been captured in Pakistan.
Marines: Taliban resistance more disorganized
U.S. and Afghan forces traded gunfire with insurgents shooting from haystacks in poppy fields in the Taliban stronghold of Marjah as they pressed ahead in NATO's assault on the militants' heartland in southern Afghanistan.
Iran official says backs visits to U.S. detainees
A senior Iranian human rights official said on Tuesday he had recommended that three Americans detained in his country be allowed to receive family visits.
Facing death, freed Iraq detainees may fight again
Many Iraqis released by U.S. forces after being detained for suspected links to Sunni insurgents have been killed by tribes seeking revenge or are being driven back into the arms of al Qaeda.
US tells Iraq to improve prisons, stamp out abuse
In a U.N. debate, the United States has urged the Iraqi government to improve its poor prison conditions and to investigate allegations of detainee abuse.
Joe Biden update: Iraq one of Obama's 'great achievements'
I am very optimistic about -- about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government.
Biden: Qaeda moving to small, frightening attacks
Vice President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that al Qaeda was moving in the direction of smaller but "devastatingly frightening" attacks and he viewed the chance of another September 11-style mass assault as unlikely.
Iraq Oil Line Bombed; Output Drops
Attackers bombed a frequently attacked oil pipeline north of Baghdad, slowing production at a refinery in the capital by half, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said Wednesday.
Afghan campaign seeks to avoid Iraq mistakes
Chances of success for a NATO offensive in the last big Taliban bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand province may depend on ensuring the operation doesn't repeat the destruction of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004.
Taliban, Marines exchange fire as battle looms
U.S. Marines and Taliban insurgents exchanged gunfire Thursday on the outskirts of Marjah, a southern militant stronghold where American and Afghan forces are expected to launch a major attack in the coming days.
Iran opposes Taliban reintegration
Tehran rejected plans to make peace with moderate Taliban members as part of a broad reconciliation effort unveiled by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Qaeda threats should be taken seriously: Yemen FM
Yemen's foreign minister has warned that Al-Qaeda threats should be taken seriously, after a top militant said the network's local branch aims to seize control of a strategic international waterway.
INTERVIEW-NATO, Afghans to hold Taliban bastion "forever"
NATO forces and their Afghan allies will hold territory seized from the Taliban in an imminent major operation "forever", the commander of British forces in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province said.
India-Pakistan thaw key to Afghan peace
India has proposed the first high-level bilateral talks with Pakistan since their peace process broke down following the terrorist attack on Mumbai in November 2008.
Al-Qaeda is a wounded but dangerous enemy
In the past six weeks, Americans have witnessed two jarringly different -- but completely accurate -- views of al-Qaeda's terrorist network. One image was that of terrorist leaders being hunted down and killed by satellite-guided, pilotless aircraft. The other was of an agile foe slipping past U.S. defenses and increasingly intent on striking inside the United States.
Iraq's parliament delays debate over candidates ban
The Iraqi parliament postponed to Monday an extraordinary session due to be held on Sunday to discuss the decision of an appeals panel to allow hundreds of banned candidates to run in the March 7 parliamentary elections.
Iraq terrorist group kidnap two Americans
The terrorist group responsible for the deaths of at least three British security contractors in Iraq says it has now seized two Americans. "The League of the Righteous " has already released a video of one of the men, an Iraqi-American named as Issa Salomi, a civilian employed by the Pentagon. Mr Salomi went missing on January 23. The identity of the second hostage has not been made clear, but it is thought it could be another Iraqi-American, an army sergeant who disappeared while on an unauthorised visit to his family in 2006.
The family of Saleema Hussein, who was killed Friday by a bombing, carry her coffin for burial in the Shiite city of Najaf.(AP Photo/Alaa al-Marjani)
Iraq’s elections could be a turning point — backwards
Iraq’s elections next month are a major fork in the road of the country’s post-election development. One way leads towards increasing stability and political freedom; the other marks the route back to sectarianism and violence.
Law, tolerance needed to resolve Iraq's candidate ban row
Top Iraqi leaders are expected to meet on Saturday to discuss a row over an appeals panel's decision to allow some 500 barred candidates to run in the March 7 parliamentary election, which is seen as a crucial test for the war and violence-shattered country's national reconciliation and political process.
Deadly blasts hit Iraq Karbala city
At least 40 people have been killed and more than 140 others wounded in two explosions that rocked the Iraqi city of Karbala as hundreds of thousands of Shia pilgrims observed a major religious rite.
Iraq election triggers US-Iran power struggle
Preparations for the Iraqi parliamentary elections have been thrown into chaos by a row over whether or not to uphold a ban on hundreds of candidates, because of alleged links to Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath Party.
Q&A - Iraq's Baath party furore - what's it all about?
Iraqi politics is in turmoil over a list of nearly 500 candidates barred from an election because of alleged links to Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party. The furore at first pitted once dominant Sunnis against the Shi'ite-led majority. Sunnis, who dominated Iraq under Saddam and whose resentment at their fall from power helped fuel a powerful insurgency, suspected the ban unfairly targeted them.
Taliban prepare defences against US and UK offensive
A wall of booby-trapped mines has been laid by the Taliban to protect their last strongholds in central Helmand as they prepare to hold off a major allied assault, British commanders have disclosed.
Pakistan tense as mourners bury bomb victims
Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi was tense Saturday a day after two bombs killed 31 people, raising further questions about the effectiveness of security crackdowns on al Qaeda-linked militants.
Yemeni American cleric Aulaqi confirms contact with Nigerian suspect
Yemeni American cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi said he taught and corresponded with the suspect in the attempted Dec. 25 airliner bombing but did not order the attack, according to an interview published this week.
U.S. Drones Kill at Least 10 With Missiles in Northwest Pakistan
A barrage of missiles from U.S. drone aircraft ripped into an area of northwest Pakistan where the Taliban and al Qaeda dominate, killing at least 10 people hours after the Pakistani Taliban again denied rumors of its leader's demise.
Can Saudi Arabia help with Taliban peace talks?
Riding a wave of international support for talking with the Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew to Saudi Arabia Tuesday to seek help from one of the few governments that hold any potential sway over the insurgent group.
US Denies Speaking to Iran About Prisoner Swap
The United States has denied speaking to Iran about a prisoner exchange after Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tehran has held discussions about such a swap.
Iran: US missile system to sow Gulf division
Iran on Tuesday warned its Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf that the U.S. is trying to drive a wedge between them by ramping up its missile defense systems in the region.
Christmas Day bomb suspect Abdulmutallab providing intelligence, sources say
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the man accused of trying to blow up a jet airplane on Christmas Day, has been providing FBI interrogators with useful intelligence about his training and contacts since last week, Obama administration sources said Tuesday.
This is a bit on the conventional side but I am posting this due to the potential implications for Iraq. Over the past several years, many have stated that the worst possible outcome for the Iraq war would be an expansion into a regional war. As Iran's saber rattling continues, Iraq may not be the cause of a regional conflict but certainly one of the main battlefields. Which side would the new Iraq ally with in a regional war?
The United States has begun beefing up its approach to defending its Persian Gulf allies against potential Iranian missile strikes, officials say. The defenses are being stepped up in advance of possible increased sanctions against Iran.
The Obama administration has quietly increased the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Gulf Arab nations, and one military official said the Navy is increasing the presence of ships capable of knocking out hostile missiles in flight.
The officials discussed aspects of the defensive strategy Saturday on condition of anonymity because some elements are classified.
An image grab taken from a videotape broadcast in 2008 by the Al-Arabiya news network shows British hostage in Iraq, Peter Moore. Moore, kidnapped with four others in Iraq in 2007, has been freed and is in good spirits despite a hostage ordeal in which four bodyguards also seized died or are feared dead, Britain said. (AFP/Al-Arabiya)
General Petraeus 'absolutely certain' that Peter Moore was held in Iran
The former US commander in Iraq is “absolutely certain” that Peter Moore was held secretly in Iran for part of his 31-month kidnap ordeal. General David Petraeus’s claim that the British IT consultant was held captive in Iran is likely to intensify the bitter diplomatic relationship between London and Tehran. Mr Moore was set free yesterday after the United States handed over an Iraqi insurgent suspected of planning the deaths of five American servicemen.
Iran link to 2007 kidnap of Britons in Iraq: reports
A British computer expert and his four bodyguards kidnapped in Iraq in 2007 were seized in an operation masterminded by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, media reported Thursday.
Qais Qazali, the leader of the Asaib al Haq or the League of the Righteous, was set free by the US military and transferred to Iraqi custody in exchange for the release of British hostage Peter Moore, US military officers and intelligence officials told The Long War Journal.
Afghanistan suicide bombing kills 8 CIA officers
The Taliban takes responsibility for the explosion at a U.S. base in Khowst province where the agency has a major presence. No U.S. or NATO military personnel are hurt.
Obama to Receive Prelim Report on Airline Attack
President Barack Obama is to receive a preliminary report Thursday on how a 23-year-old Nigerian with suspected terrorist ties managed to board a plane he is accused of attempting to bomb on Christmas Day, along with recommendations on how to prevent a sequel.
Yemeni soldiers flashing the V for 'victory' sign. Two people were killed and 10 wounded in two explosions at the site of a suspected Al-Qaeda training camp in southern Yemen which was hit by an air strike last week that also killed 49 civilians. (AFP/File/Khaled Fazaa)
Swindler duped CIA over Al-Qaeda decoding scam: report A con artist convinced the CIA and other US agencies in 2003 that he could decode secret messages sent by Al-Qaeda through Al-Jazeera broadcasts, Playboy magazine reported.
Iraq to challenge Opec on 'fair share' of output Iraq has set the stage for a fight with fellow Opec members about production levels, warning it has been "deprived of its fair share" of oil output for a long time.
Iran says Iraq border incident a "misunderstanding" ran on Tuesday described a border incident with Iraq, which caused oil prices to rise late last week, as a "misunderstanding" and called for experts from both countries to look into border demarcation issues.
Police say suicide bomber kills 3 in NW Pakistan A suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside a press club in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, leaving three people dead in the latest attack against the city of Peshawar since the military launched a major offensive near the Afghan border.
Troops, Taliban race to build up local governments The governor of this remote district in southern Afghanistan has employees he can't afford to pay, a school he struggles to staff with teachers, a clinic where doctors are scarce and a police force of mostly illiterate farmers.
Taliban clash with Afghan forces Afghan police have clashed with Taliban fighters who attacked a building near a police station in the provincial capital of the eastern province of Paktia, officials have said.
National police Canada's problem in Afghanistan From a rocky slope above a village in southern Afghanistan last February, Canadian Forces engineer Matt Austin watched a Taliban suspect scramble for safety with troops in hot pursuit.
US combat medics face tough choices in Afghanistan
Demonising America It was in Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran that America was labelled The Great Satan. Judging from current trends, the day is not too far off when America will be given the same moniker in Pakistan. Ever since the US resorted to carrying out drone attacks against terrorist suspects inside Pakistan, vocal condemnations of America have been widespread.
Cleric's Death, Torture Case Jolt Iran Iran's opposition seized upon the death of one of the Islamic republic's founding fathers -- a revered ayatollah who was also a fierce critic of the nation's leadership -- to take to the streets in mourning.
Iraqi soldiers stand guard outside the Halfaya oil field near the southern city of Amara on December 12. Iranian troops who for three days controversially occupied a disputed border oil well have left the facility during the night but remain on Iraqi soil, Iraq's government spokesman has said. (AFP/File/Essam al-Sudani)
Iraq Says Iranian Troops Withdrawn From Oil Well Iraqi officials say Iranian troops have withdrawn from a disputed oil well on their border. A government spokesman says the Iranians left during the night. Iraqi officials say 11 Iranian soldiers seized the well (Number 4) in the al-Fakkah oil field in Maysan province Friday, and that Iranian soldiers remained there Saturday.
Mullen Voices Concern About Iran's Influence
Channeling Sunni Rage Into Iraqi Political Clout Sheik Abdul-Rahman Munshid al-Assi has been making up for the time he lost in an American prison, aggressively diving into Iraqi politics after being held nearly a year on charges of aiding the insurgency. After his release last year, he formed the Arab Political Council to represent Sunni Arabs in Kirkuk. He recruited Sunni candidates to run in the coming national elections. He is forging a political bloc with Arab nationalists, other tribal leaders and former members of Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Baath Party as a counterweight to Kurds in the province.
The race against Obama's deadline in Afghanistan Adm. Mike Mullen, the personification of American military power, is walking the streets of this dusty village in Paktika province when the deferential deputy governor, Qadir Gul Zadran, tells him: "We hope you stay here forever."
In Afghan war, officer flourishes outside the box You may wonder how Thomas Gukeisen made it to lieutenant colonel, and by age 39 at that. He breaks Army rules and operates by his own rendition of counterinsurgency warfare whose arsenal includes Afghan poetry, chaos theory and the thoughts of a 17th-century English philosopher.
A worshiper holds a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally against opposition supporters who insulted the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, after Friday prayers in Tehran December 18, 2009. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi
While there is about a foot of global warning on the ground keeping me inside today, I thought I would briefly go over some of what Iran has been doing. The worst-case scenario for the dwindling Iraq conflict is that it reignites into a regional state vs. state war engulfing most of the Middle East. The Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen allegedly being bombed by Saudis in a cross-border operation may be a harbinger of events to come.
Here is some of what we have seen from Iran recently:
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been "the best recruiting officer" for U.S. military efforts to partner with Arab states over the past year. That's according to General David Petraeus, who as commander of Centcom is responsible for overseeing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and security efforts throughout the region. "There were certain countries which used to hold us at arm's length that have over the last year embraced Central Command in certain cooperative endeavors," Petraeus told TIME in an interview on Dec. 13, citing ballistic-missile defense agreements and shared early-warning systems. "Ahmadinejad's rhetoric is very alarming among countries in this region."
The prospects of the worst-case scenario coming to fruition will only rise during the eventual political crisis Iraq will soon face in the wake of its "democratic" election in March. Iran will not accept a Western or Arab friendly government; nor will the Arab neighbors accept another Iranian proxy regime.
Why do I call the Iraqi election an eventual political crisis? The Iraq election law that many called a great success.
Second, the next Prime Minister will almost certainly come from the Shiite majority. The Shiite and Sunni blocs would vote against a Kurd PM for fears of Kurdish domination. The Shiites and the Kurds would vote against a Sunni PM for fears of a Baathist return to power.
Third, the Sunnis put violence on hold in exchange for participating in the political process. Should the results embody their worst fears of Iranian-proxy domination, we can expect a second wave insurgency to spawn from political disenfranchisement most likely supported by Iraq's Arab neighbors.
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