Monday, June 09, 2008

BBC dreams up Iraq/Iran Alliance

'The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran says that, according to Iranian media reports, Ayatollah Khamenei had a blunt message for his Iraqi guest.

"The occupation forces, who have employed all their military and security power to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs, are now the main obstacle in the way of the Iraqi government and nation," he reportedly told Mr Maliki.

The comments leave the Iraqi prime minister in an awkward position, our correspondent says, torn between his alliances with the US and Iran.'

Iraq has an alliance with Iran? Or is it Mr Maliki who has an alliance with Iran? I think Jon Leyne may have been in Iran slightly too long. If we cast our minds back to the 1980's we might recall a small difference of opinion between Iran and Iraq. Might I perchance be allowed to ask on which side the Shia Arabs fought? Even the hated Saddam Hussein got the Shia to fight for him against the much more hated Persians... Mr Leyne might want to cruise through the history books again on his presumably many quiet evenings.

The day that Iraq forms an alliance with Iran will be a paradigm shift (doncha just love those pundit cliches?) for the Arab world. There is approximately no chance of it. Sorry Jon.

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