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Do you think that Iran is providing the Iraq insurgency military and logistical support?

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bryant69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:19 AM
Original message
Poll question: Do you think that Iran is providing the Iraq insurgency military and logistical support?
Let me say at the outset that I am opposed to war with Iran and think we need to get out of Iraq. But as a factual matter, what do you think?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com
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MyNameGoesHere Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:22 AM
Response to Original message
1. of course they are just like we support
other insurgencies around the world. here we are the worlds number 1 provider of weapons to any country that can pony up the cash and we "gasp" with shock when other countries do it.
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TwilightGardener Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:28 AM
Response to Original message
2. Why wouldn't they make a grab for power and influence
Edited on Mon Jul-16-07 10:28 AM by wienerdoggie
in their neighboring (majority Shia) failed state? We handed them a golden opportunity, we took out their enemy, and now we're reaping the whirlwind.
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WilliamPitt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:31 AM
Response to Reply #2
5. Um, they did.
The two dominant political parties in the Shia-controlled Iraqi government are Dawa and SCIRI. These are both creatures of Iran, and also are former terror organizations. Once upon a time, they were hands-on in the killing of 200+ marines in Beruit in 1983.

Iran doesn't have to invade. They've already got control of the country. Saudi Arabia is fighting them through Sunni proxies.
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TwilightGardener Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:35 AM
Response to Reply #5
24. Iran's Shia coming in from the east, Sunni (and al Qaeda) coming
in from the west and south from Syria and Saudi Arabia, Turkey's Kurds coming in from the north--we've set a lovely table for regional tribal conflict. "Hornet's nest" is almost too tame of a description.
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TahitiNut Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:28 AM
Response to Original message
3. Not as much as the U.S. supported the IRA.
The people in almost any country can funnel support to an insurgency anywhere without necessarily doing so through a government-sactioned program. The mere presence of weapons and materials originating in Iran proves nothing. Those weapons and materials could have been 'laundered' through a third country.
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WilliamPitt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:29 AM
Response to Original message
4. Of course.
Edited on Mon Jul-16-07 10:30 AM by WilliamPitt
Shia helping Shia.

Sunnis also helping Sunnis. See: Saudi Arabia.
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madokie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:34 AM
Response to Original message
6. I think a lot of the people in that region are only separated by an imaginary line in the sand
but thats just me but if that is the case then I would say that yes I would bet that Iran is offering and giving some support. I'm not sure if I wouldn't be doing the same thing if I were the Iranians. With what bushco's america is doing in that part of the world I'm not sure if I wouldn't join with all the others in the endeavor to run our sorry asses off of their sands too. What is right with what bushco is doing?? but again thats just me.
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Zynx Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:35 AM
Response to Original message
7. Badr Brigades, Sadr, etc. They're hardly shy about it.
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Tierra_y_Libertad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:37 AM
Response to Original message
8. Probably. There are a lot of players in their civil war..the main one being America.
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and god knows who else are supplying the various factions. With the U.S. supplying factions within the factions.

The focus on Iran, as displayed by the recent 97-0 vote was perpetrated as yet another "support our troops" bit of political posturing that the Dems fell for but may very well end in another catastrophe with Bush and the Repubs saying (again), "But, senator, you voted for it."
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bryant69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:40 AM
Response to Reply #8
9. The US supplying factions within factions?
Do you think the US is deliberately formenting unrest?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com
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Tierra_y_Libertad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:46 AM
Response to Reply #9
12. Perish the thought! 'Murka would never, ever, do such a thing.
Great humanitarians that we have proven to be in:

Vietnam
Laos
Cambodia
Angola
Nicaragua
Cuba
Honduras
Congo
Mozambique
Greece
Palestine
Guatemala
Chile
Afghanistan
etc,
etc,
etc.
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bryant69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:50 AM
Response to Reply #12
14. That's kind of a nasty response
Allow me to clarify - Americans have acted as bastards around the world in invading other countries and blowing the hell out of them. We've also formented unrest at times. Usually though we haven't deliberately provoked unrest in a nation we are currently occupying. Usually it's one or the other, though.

My question is do you think that we are formenting unrest against ourselves in the current conflict? Capability is not culpability, necessarily.

Bryant
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Tierra_y_Libertad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:57 AM
Response to Reply #14
15. It wasn't meant to be nasty.
I thought your question was meant to be ironic.

I think the Americans are taking sides with different factions of both the Sunni and Shia for short term goals of fighting the likes of Al-queda and the Badr Brigades. Which, in fact, is giving them the means to continue the sectarian violence.

Just as they armed the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. Which, rather obviously, blew up in our faces.

They are working on the notion of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", which has a long history of failure.
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bryant69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:59 AM
Response to Reply #15
16. Ah- so inadvertantly formenting unrest
That makes sense - i mean it makes sense that they are doing that; what they are actually doing makes the opposite of sense.

Choosing short term strategies with long term flaws is usually a losing strategy.

Bryant
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IChing Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:17 AM
Response to Reply #16
21. "inadvertantly" using special forces to achieve unrest
http://www.theinsider.org/news/article.asp?id=1556
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bryant69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:19 AM
Response to Reply #21
22. You are apparently talking about something different
than Tierra y Libertad - thanks for the link though.

Bryant
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TwilightGardener Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:39 AM
Response to Reply #9
25. I think it was Sy Hersh who reported that we were funding/arming
Sunni groups to fight Shia influence in other parts of Iraq/ME, while at the same time fighting Sunni insurgents in Baghdad--I may not have that totally straight, but it was some such nonsense along those lines.
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LSK Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:55 AM
Response to Reply #9
34. didnt you see the report that we were supplying arms to Sunni insurgents
Because the idea is that they would take care of Al Queda???
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The2ndWheel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:40 AM
Response to Original message
10. Tough to think they wouldn't be
Sort of the game we play really. That's what expanding centers of power do.
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Solly Mack Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:46 AM
Response to Original message
11. Yes
there is support coming out of Iran and flowing into Iraq in the power-grabbing battle of proxies which is ripping Iraq a part and killing both Iraqis and Americans

but that doesn't mean Congress needs to produce yet another document for Bush to ignore so they can claim "We didn't give him permission - he did it anyway"

If nothing else - and allowing for a benefit of the doubt that I don't buy for a minute - the IWR should have taught Congress that
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DutchLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 10:47 AM
Response to Original message
13. Of course they are.
And we knew that it would happen when we invaded Iraq. These things always happen in times of war.
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youthere Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:07 AM
Response to Original message
17. I don't have time to answer your poll...
there are important child/flight attendant issues to discuss. LOL!
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jpgray Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:08 AM
Response to Original message
18. Just like the Saudis (and apparently we ourselves) are arming the Sunnis
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spanone Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:10 AM
Response to Original message
19. It's their border, they have a serious invested interest. Iran does not wish to be occupied.
Edited on Mon Jul-16-07 11:12 AM by spanone
& you can bet that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, all the nations in that area are watching out for their own interests.
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EstimatedProphet Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:11 AM
Response to Original message
20. Iran, as in the Government of Iran?
As in, a discreet Iranina governemtn program to destabilize the region, frustrate efforts by the Us to occupy Iraq, and potentially turn Iraq into a fundamentalist Shia Islamic country?

No.
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kineneb Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:21 AM
Response to Original message
23. most funds are coming from Saudi Arabia
our so-called "friend". Ha. Iran doesn't have to do anything, they are already the winner in this mess. All they need to do is sit and watch. Saddam is gone and the Iranians will not be be worried about being attacked by Iraq anytime in the near future.
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JohnLocke Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:41 AM
Response to Original message
26. Clearly, yes.
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RestoreGore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:42 AM
Response to Original message
27. Sure. Just like this government supports the government that attacked us on 9.11
But that must be conveniently forgotten.
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JacquesMolay Donating Member (413 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:48 AM
Response to Original message
28. I'm no fan of Ahmendijad...
... n/t
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BlooInBloo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:50 AM
Response to Original message
29. Oh god, here we go again....
... With this belief, DUers have little to bitch about if/when we go to war with them.
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TwilightGardener Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:53 AM
Response to Reply #29
32. I don't think it's a pro-Iran-war position to believe that Iran is meddling with Iraq--
I'd be surprised if they DIDN'T. The point is, what are we going to do about it? I don't think military action is inevitable.
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bryant69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:55 AM
Response to Reply #32
33. Exactly
And more to the point, if it is true it should be said; you don't get anywhere by hiding your head in the sand.

Bryant
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Ganja Ninja Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:52 AM
Response to Original message
30. Some but not as much as the Saudi's. n/t
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HCE SuiGeneris Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jul-16-07 11:53 AM
Response to Original message
31. The headline should read: Do you think that the U.S. is providing
the Iraq insurgency military and logistical support?
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