Iraq-Chalabi-Iran
Why would Iran want the US to invade Iraq? It is a crucial question to be answered in the Chalabi-Teheran saga... Let me float a theory. Now, the Iranian leadership wasn't that fond of Saddam to begin with. On top of that, Iran was illegally involved in nuclear technology and featured high on Mr. B's "axis of evil" list. As a matter of fact, Iran posed a much greater WMD-threat then Iraq and it's leaders do have a history of sponsoring Islamic terrorism. If a case for war centered around WMD and terrorist sponsoring was to be made, Iran was it's main target.
How better for Iranians to avoid such a thing then to point the finger at an old enemy? Perhaps by pulling some strings with Iraqi dissident movements they too must have had a relation with given the history between the two countries? They'd only have to find some US officials gullible enough to be misled.
What about having your enemy as your neighbor? The Iranian leadership may not have liked Saddam, they're not fond of the US either. Would Iran want the US occupying Iraq? I'd say they do. "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer" was the old adage. It applies. The US will only gain leverage over Iran if they are successful in Iraq. If not, the reverse is true.
By lending fundamentalists a hand in destabilising Iraq after an American invasion, Iran might tie US forces down in Iraq for a long time. And gain leverage over the US. It could offer to lend the US a hand in stabilising Iraq or merely stop making things difficult for the US, for a price.
As a bonus, the reputation of the US goes down the drain as a result of the bogus intelligence you fed them and the post conflict chaos you help create. An excellent example of how brains can defeat brawn in international politics, "How to neutralize the most powerful army in the world without ever firing a shot".
Now this is nothing more than theory, but it would be a grand feat to pull off...
No trackbacks:
Trackback link:
Posted by in Old Stuff @ 02 06 04 | No comments / No trackbacks
