Teheran Logic

For the moment at least, Iran appears to have prevented the Shi'ite opposition from entering Iraq and presumably helping to organize the native fight against Saddam. Middle East Media Research Institute has a useful primer on the main ideas and motives being mull(ah)ed over in Teheran. (Caveat: Sheikh Fadlallah, frequently misidentified as Hezbullah's "spiritual leader," is so misidentified here, so reports of his alienation by the Iranians are not as important as claimed by MEMRI. Fadlallah has for many years been at odds with both Khamenei and Hezbullah—which remains close to Iran and will likely share in whatever good or ill fortune the war brings to Iran.)

Comments

[Brian]

A very enlightening article...

It seems that the Iranian officials want Saddam gone, they just don't want us to be the ones to do it...hence their support of removing Saddam through "peaceful means". Interesting to note that one of the few dissenting voices is the Defense Minister, who acknowleges that military force is the only way the regime in Baghdad can be dealt with. I'd imagine he of all people would know.

But what really got me was the President of Iran saying that the US was "driven by fanatic [Christian] fundamentalism."

I honestly don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[Tuning Spork]

The most enlightening thing (for me) about the article was all the about Shi'ites in Karbala vs. Shi'ites from Najif, who now work out of Qom... Tribes and towns seem to be more important and "internally" fracturing than I ever knew (&I use to think the rapper East coast-west coast fued was silly!).

But, of course, as much as they feud amongst themeselves they're all in agreement that the Great Satan is to be despised even more.

It all reminds me of the medieval Europe where the Church was the center of govt and society. Somehow, some way the Islamists have to get past the Inquisition-era paranoid mentality. Imagine that; dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 17th century. From what I hear, the 30-&-under crowd are ready and willing for that. So, let's be patient. This should all work itself out in about two decades.