Kerry: Iraq Helping Syria's Assad By Allowing Arms Flow

[Purveyor]

Source: Washington Post

By Anne Gearan, Updated: Sunday, March 24, 2:20 PM

BAGHDAD — Iraq is helping to shore up the besieged regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by allowing Iranian arms and fighters to cross into Syria from Iraq, Secretary of State John F. Kerry charged Sunday.

During an unannounced trip to Baghdad, Kerry lobbied Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for greater scrutiny of flights that cross Iraq. He appeared to make little headway with Maliki, a Shiite with long ties to Iran and little inclination to do U.S. bidding 10 years after the American invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

Maliki is a prickly leader whose relations with U.S. officials have grown more strained since the departure of American forces and the re-emergence of widespread sectarian violence in Iraq. Maliki’s consolidation of power worries his American backers. His dealings with Shiite Iran worry them more.

“Iraq’s success will take enormous cooperation,” Kerry said. “It’ll take dialogue, and it’ll take courage. It’ll require the resolve to defend the sovereignty of the country and its airspace,” he said.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/kerry-asks-iraq-to-stop-syria-arms-flow/2013/03/24/61eec97e-9467-11e2-95ca-dd43e7ffee9c_story.html

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I'm surprised they even allow the landing of a US gov't aircraft. I wouldn't have if I were the Iraqi gov't after the hell we unleashed upon their civilians.

And now what Kerry? Going to invade again if they don't 'comply'?

[still_one]

1. another demonstration of the success invading Iraq was. destabilized the region, and made Iran more

powerful than it was previously

The law of unintended consequences

[MrSlayer]

2. Sure was a great idea to take out Saddam.

Idiots.

[Amonester]

14. Dumbya Wanted to Avenge poppy.

And cheney wanted to triple up his Options' portfolios.

That's about it.

[L0oniX]

3. I'm sure nothing is coming from the Russian naval base in Syria. n/t

[Arctic Dave]

4. Funny, we have no problem with AQ going to Syria.

Not to mention all the fighters being trained in Turkey and Lebanon to fight Assad.

[danbeee46]

5. Hear that cons?

Good thing we were welcomed as liberators. Fools.

[leveymg]

6. This is becoming regional war. Iraq is in a smouldering civil war between the Shi'ia and the Sunni

Not much attention is paid in the U.S. press to the almost daily bombings, assassinations and mass killings in Iraq, but civil war (a Sunni insurgency) is escalating there, also. Just like Syria.

It would be an amazing feat of diplomacy for Kerry to defuse this spreading violence before it reaches a critical mass and a real regional war breaks out.

[blm]

7. We predicted this before Bush invaded Iraq.

Yep - the one good thing is that Assad had relationship with Kerry prior to the craziness that he's been displaying the last 2 years. Hopefully he can be talked down and moved out of Syria to a place of exile. Back when his dad led the country he was a doctor and acted with refinement. Hopefully Kerry can appeal to the Assad he used to know. I hear Assad's wife, once known for her charitable work, has had a breakdown, too.

[John2]

13. Why Americans cannot

comprehend the Middle East as it is? The majority of the population in Iraq is Shiite. They have more in common with the Shiites in Iran than they do with the Sunni population within their own country. The only way Saddam kept the Shiite population in check was with force. The U.S. just empowered one group over the other when they invaded. Just why do Americans think Iran and Iraq fought a War for eight years. Saddam's regime was always under constant threat from the revolution in Iran when the Shah was overthrown. Bush did Iran a favor when they dethroned Saddam. Assad was probably cheering silently too. Hizbullah is also the government of the Shiite population in Lebanon and an ally of Iran. Assad's regime is also an ally of Hizbullah. Iran's military has also been secretly working with North Korea. Look deeper and comprehend the secret alliances going on. It is all maneuvering, because they suspect a bigger conflict. Do not take the opposition likely because they can plot too. If Israel attacks Iran, the war will probably widen and different sides are planning on it. Iran has said trhey will not let Assad fall. The U.S. also better beware of the attitude going on in Afghanistan and Pakistan also. Are they sure these countries are not sucking somebody into a trap?

[KoKo]

9. +1 We shall see...

[KoKo]

8. The "Project for the New American Century" is the blueprint for this...

as you know.

Those who don't can GOOGLE and check out WIKI....

[leveymg]

12. Absolutely. Google: "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm"

It lays it all out, almost exactly as it happened: regime change in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Iran. http://www.israeleconomy.org/strat1.htm

Meanwhile, Israel, Jordan and Turkey come out sharing a new regional superpower status. Bam-bam-bam. Like that. No more Arab nationalists, no more socialists, Palestinians controlled. Israel, under the Right-wing, can finally shake off its tail of the dog relationship with the Americans. A new milenium for a Greater Judea and Samaria. Remarkably prescient for a document written in 1997. Don't you think?

But, not a word about the role of the Saudis in the new order. An omission that says a great deal. Of course, they're the silent partner that profit through risk premium on oil supplies from all the conflict.

[Botany]

10. So the govt. we helped to put into power in Iraq is now closer to Iran and is helping Syria?

[Purveyor]

11. The USA lost that 'bastard' invasion and the rest of the world knows it. eom