Iran uses Sunnis for its dirty work

Peter Brookes:

To catch a snake, use your enemy's hand. - Persian proverb

LAST week's U.S. military re port alleging Iran is now giving weapons to Iraqi Sunni insurgents may seem downright illogical next to earlier claims that Tehran was arming Iraq's Shia militias.

It's not. Far from it.

While a risky strategy, Tehran's willingness to arm both their Shia allies and Sunni foes in Iraq could pay big dividends for the ascendant and ambitious Islamic Republic - at our expense.

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Naturally, Iran denies any involvement.

But let's assume that the witch's brew of Iranian weapons (e.g., mortar rounds) found in a Sunni neighborhood - added to the detainee info - makes for a credible case against Tehran.

What accounts for Iran's action?

Although seemingly as incompatible as oil and water, the Sunni insurgents could help Shia Iran advance important strategic objectives in Iraq.

Continued Sunni attacks - aided by Iranian weapons - will keep the United States sufficiently distracted so as to hinder the possibility of Washington's dealing with Iran politically, much less militarily.

Plus, continued Sunni violence (again, supported by Iran) will only add to the possibility that the United States will defeat itself in Iraq by opting for a politically motivated withdrawal in Washington.

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The last thing Iran wants - ever again - is a strong, unified Iraq. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a veteran of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, remembers well the carnage, including the loss of 300,000 Iranian lives at Iraqi hands.

On top of that, Iran has no desire to see real freedom and democracy blossom in Iraq. Talk about an ideological threat to the repressive Iranian regime!

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Never assume good faith for the actions of this Tehran regime. It is best to assume that it has sinister motives for its actions in Iraq. Its main objective at this time is defeating the US effort in Iraq. It, better than the Sunnis it is aiding recognizes that a US exit will free up the Shia to destroy the Sunnis. By that perverse logic, giving the Sunnis weapons will speed their early demise.