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

[bryant69]

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

Poll result (50 votes)
Yes I do think that Iran is providing the Iraq Insurgency with support	(27 votes, 54%)	Vote
I think it's probable	(1 votes, 2%)	Vote
I think it's possible	(8 votes, 16%)	Vote
I don't think it's likely	(5 votes, 10%)	Vote
I don't think that Iran is providing the Iraq Insurgency with support	(9 votes, 18%)	Vote
This is not an appropriate question to ask at this time	(0 votes, 0%)	Vote
I like to Vote	(0 votes, 0%)	Vote

[MyNameGoesHere]

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.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Why wouldn't they make a grab for power and influence

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.

[WilliamPitt]

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.

[TwilightGardener]

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.

[TahitiNut]

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.

[WilliamPitt]

4. Of course.

Shia helping Shia.

Sunnis also helping Sunnis. See: Saudi Arabia.

[madokie]

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.

[Zynx]

7. Badr Brigades, Sadr, etc. They're hardly shy about it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

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."

[bryant69]

9. The US supplying factions within factions?

Do you think the US is deliberately formenting unrest?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

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.

[bryant69]

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

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

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.

[bryant69]

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

[IChing]

21. "inadvertantly" using special forces to achieve unrest

http://www.theinsider.org/news/article.asp?id=1556

[bryant69]

22. You are apparently talking about something different

than Tierra y Libertad - thanks for the link though.

Bryant

[TwilightGardener]

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.

[LSK]

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???

[The2ndWheel]

10. Tough to think they wouldn't be

Sort of the game we play really. That's what expanding centers of power do.

[Solly Mack]

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

[DutchLiberal]

13. Of course they are.

And we knew that it would happen when we invaded Iraq. These things always happen in times of war.

[youthere]

17. I don't have time to answer your poll...

there are important child/flight attendant issues to discuss. LOL!

[jpgray]

18. Just like the Saudis (and apparently we ourselves) are arming the Sunnis

[spanone]

19. It's their border, they have a serious invested interest. Iran does not wish to be occupied.

& you can bet that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, all the nations in that area are watching out for their own interests.

[EstimatedProphet]

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.

[kineneb]

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.

[JohnLocke]

26. Clearly, yes.

[RestoreGore]

27. Sure. Just like this government supports the government that attacked us on 9.11

But that must be conveniently forgotten.

[JacquesMolay]

28. I'm no fan of Ahmendijad...

... n/t

[BlooInBloo]

29. Oh god, here we go again....

... With this belief, DUers have little to bitch about if/when we go to war with them.

[TwilightGardener]

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.

[bryant69]

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

[Ganja Ninja]

30. Some but not as much as the Saudi's. n/t

[HCE SuiGeneris]

31. The headline should read: Do you think that the U.S. is providing

the Iraq insurgency military and logistical support?