Iran bribing Iraqis to kill deal with US?

Washington Post:

The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said Sunday that American intelligence reports suggest Iran has attempted to bribe Iraqi lawmakers in an effort to derail a bilateral agreement that would allow U.S. troops to remain in Iraq after the end of this year.

Gen. Ray Odierno said in an interview that Iran, a Shiite Islamic nation eyed warily by the United States and Sunni Arab countries, is working publicly and covertly to undermine the status-of-forces agreement as officials from Iraq and the United States report nearing a deal that must be ratified by Iraq's parliament.

"Clearly, this is one they're having a full court press on to try to ensure there's never any bilateral agreement between the United States and Iraq," Odierno said. "We know that there are many relationships with people here for many years going back to when Saddam was in charge, and I think they're utilizing those contacts to attempt to influence the outcome of the potential vote in the council of representatives."

Odierno said he had no definitive proof of the bribes, but added that "there are many intelligence reports" that suggest Iranians are "coming in to pay off people to vote against it." The reports have not been made public.

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In recent months, Iran has courted potential allies in Iraq's parliament, including Kurds and Sunnis, said Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman. The Arab Sunni speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, recently traveled to Iran on an official visit.

"Iran has been doing this for the last six months," said Othman, a vocal backer of the bilateral agreement, adding that he has not been approached by Iran. "They will try their best to influence anyone they can. They will tell people that this is dangerous, that this is not good for Iraq."

Odierno said Iran's alleged efforts to derail the agreement could backfire.

"I truly believe that Iraqis are nationalists," he said. "They want to choose on their own what's best for their country, and they don't want somebody else to decide what's in their best interest."

Iraqi and U.S. officials have spent months negotiating agreements that would cover the rights and responsibilities of American forces and establish legal authority for their presence after the U.N. mandate expires. Whether American troops will be granted full immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law, or limited immunity that would exclude transgressions that occur off-base, while off duty, has emerged as the most contentious issue. Maliki said reaching an agreement is important. But he faces a loss of political support if he signs off on a deal that is perceived to prolong what many Iraqis see as a U.S. occupation and that appears to give Americans free rein in his country.

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It looks like the Iranians and the Obama Democrats are on the same page in stalling a deal between the Iraqis and the US. While they both may have different reasons for the stalling, the results they are looking for is not that much different. The Democrats and the Iranians both want our efforts in Iraq to fail. They both fear a future commitment of US forces in the area. Obama actively tried to persuade the Iraqis to postpone an agreement when he made his visit this summer.

The Democrats have been desperate for US defeat in Iraq for two years now. The success of the surge was a set back for them and the Iranians. The Democrats want to have a free hand in a precipitous retreat regardless of the consequences. Their only real preference is that they not be held responsible for any untoward consequences.