I have tried and tried to get my head around just exactly what the hell the US is doing and why, but I just cannot do it!

This from today's Juan Cole:

"Iran's foreign minister, Manuchehr Mottaki, strongly backed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's attack on the Mahdi Army militia on Wednesday. He said, “Weapons should be only in the hands of the Iraqi army.” The Iraqi army appears increasingly to be dominated by cadres of the Badr Corps paramilitary of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, headed by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The Badr Corps was trained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and it and ISCI are key Iranian clients in Iraq. What Mottaki said therefore makes complete sense. What doesn't make sense is the Bush administration's long-term effort to misrepresent the nativist Sadr Movement and its Mahdi Army, based in Iraq's festering slums, as Iran-backed.

It is precisely the closeness of the al-Maliki government and its primary current pillar, ISCI, to Iran that has made Sunni Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia skittish about allowing it into the Arab League system as a full diplomatic partner. The Sunni Arab states largely do not have embassies in Baghdad, and Iraqi Shiites accuse them or their populations of surreptitiously helping Iraqi Sunni Arab guerrillas."

www.juancole.com


So? Anyone have any ideas as to WTF is happening? Please...

they are fucking up. The neocon plan for Israel and the US setting up a colony in the Mideast was never based on reality.

Iran is simply trying to exploit the opening the US invasion/occupation made, and it's simpler to do so through a 'recognized' government (e.g., the quisling/sock-puppet al-Maliki and his ruling coalition, anchored by his own DAWA--"terrorist" party) than through the political opposition (al-Sadr and the Medhi Army). Besides, al-Sadr's nearly xenophobic nationalism doesn't make him an ideal Iranian partner in any event. All the Bushies can do is shuffle some generals around, raise the occasional false flag, and watch in helpless cluelessness. At least they don't have to worry about Dims in Congress raising a fuss about any of it.

Iran is acting exactly as one would expect. The SICI (and its Badr Corp paramilitary) is the most closely allied Iranian client in Iraq and has been for decades. The Badr Corp is completely trained and equipped by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. For Iran to back Maliki (whose strongest supporter right now is SICI) only makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is the Bush regime's stance in all this. Why would the Bushies support Maliki who is Iran's close ally? Why would they turn Sadr into a "terrorist" when Sadr is the only Shi'ite opposition to Iranian influence? Why are the Bushies vilifying Iran on the one hand and praising Miliki and SICI on the other? None of this makes any sense!