Iran, Iraq, (Lebanon)
So finally, 39 months into Iraq's "liberation", there is some hope that an outside power will be able to help it get back on its feet.
That would be mega-neighbor Iran... And by an amazing coincidence it would not be the distant (and politically disengaged) US.
AFP tells us that,
- -
Iran signed a deal with
Iraq to exchange crude for refined products desperately needed by its western neighbour as a result of persistent insurgent sabotage.
The two countries' oil ministers -- Bijan Namdar Zanganeh for Iran and Ibrahim Bahr al-Ulum for Iraq -- signed the deal as Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari wrapped up a landmark visit to the former foe, the Iranian oil ministry's Shana news agency reported.
The swap will require three new pipelines across the neighbours' southern border, which will be funded and built by Iran within 10 months, Zanganeh said on Monday.
"The idea is for Iran to buy 150,000 barrels per day of Basra light crude. In return, Iran will provide petrol, heating oil and kerosene," Zanganeh said, adding that the latter two products would come from Iranian refineries but that the petrol would have to be imported.
This is Hizbullah high-up Muhammad Fneish, who'll be in a bit of a hot seat as Minister for Power and Water. But Hizbullah has a reputation for getting things done-- and moreover, without the terrible cronyism and racketeering that have dogged ministerial management of the vital utilities for many decades.
The Foreign Minister will also be a Shiite-- a professional diplomat who is not a member of any party, but deemed "acceptable" by both Hizbullah and the other main Shiite party, Amal.
Meanwhile back in Iraq-- oh, sorry, I mean Iran-- there is this from Monday's edition of the pro-Khomeini daily Jomhuri-ye Eslami (Islamic republic):
- News Service: "Sadun al-Dulaymi," the Iraqi defense minister, who has
traveled to Tehran, said at a press conference accompanied by Admiral Shamkhani, our country's defense minister: "I have come to Iran to ask for forgiveness and apologize for what Saddam did." According to this report, the Iraqi defense minister also emphasized he has to ask forgiveness from Kuwait and all of Saddam's victims.
Then, from the same source, translated by FBIS and sent to JWN by helpful reader WSH, this:
- This report adds that Hojatoleslam val-Moslemin Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the president, also met with "Sadun al-Dulaymi," the Iraqi defense minister, on Thursday. As reported by the president's media affairs office, Mr Khatami referred to the hardships the Iranian people have endured for the sake of independence and liberty, and said: "The maturity and growth of the Iraqi nation in determining a transitional government and the elections they held are noteworthy." The president considered Iraq's move toward the establishment of democracy to be correct and expressed hope the move would continue with the will of the Iraqi nation...
Well, I guess there's a reason. Iran seems, after all, to be making huge geopolitical gains, day after day, in Iraq and elsewhere, with every days that passes so long as the US troops are still deployed-- in an extremely vulnerable fashion-- throughout the whole of Iraq.
It's amazing how rapidly the geopolitical balance has been tipping inside Iraq in recent weeks. Watch that space.
This not surprising Helenna, Our history told us what Iran and what The Iranian are!
But this another dark time of Iraq history we pray will be pass fast and Iraqis with good faith will build it again and again, this is ongoing story Helenna in our history
Iran helping? The assassination and hacking to pieces of Abdul Majid al-Khoi in April 2003 was organized by Iran and have been violently destabilizing Iraq ever since with their traditional ruthlessness. Move on Abu-Ghraib, watch what the Iranians and Hezbolla do to Iraquis. They intimidated the Shiite court to reverse Sistani's fatwa approving cooperation with the US, and even have been hosting and supporting Al-Qaeda in their operations against Iraq and the Saudis.
Anybody attributing a positive role to Iran is either on Iran's payroll, or their family has been threatened by Iran just like they did to the American diplomats in 1978.
David
Ali Sistani, he is Iranian there is no difference between him and other Iran rulers.
Iran in fact gave the cover and supports to American in Iraq by his Fatwa.
With all the chose inside Iraq, US officials keep blaming Syrian for the terrorist crossing the border where Iran "AXISS OF EVIL" a major in terrorist involvement and their intelligence working inside Iraq no major complains from Americans.
The recent killing of the top Iraqi military commander and Military Air force captains during Iraq/Iran ware its very clear example of Iranian fingerprints in Iraq laying with the American.
"Move on Abu-Ghraib, watch what the Iranians and Hezbolla do to Iraquis"
What's your point her?
Abu-Ghraib is a shame ....
Salah,
I agree with your observations.
On Abu Ghraib I point that the US transgressions are useless and infantile, specially when you compare their effect against the expeditious way the Iranians operate in pursuit of their interests in Iraq. I agree with you, Iran is the ugly factor looking back and going forward.
David
"He argued: "If at the end of the First World War we had done what we promised the Arabs, which was to let them be free and have their own governments, and kept out of Arab affairs, and just bought their oil, rather than feeling we had to control the flow of oil, I suspect this wouldn't have arisen.""
Mayor blames Middle East policy
Blair called the terrorists an evil ideology and finally is ready to act. When the acts were elsewhere England did not move a finger:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4699745.stm
'Unacceptable behaviours'
In a Commons statement he said: "In the circumstances we now face, I have decided that it is right to broaden the use of these powers to deal with those who foment terrorism or seek to provoke others to terrorist acts.
"I intend to draw up a list of unacceptable behaviours which would fall into this - for example preaching, running websites or writing articles which are intended to foment or provoke terrorism."
More than 500 British Muslim religious leaders and scholars have issued a fatwa in response to the London bombs.
And in another first, UK muslims issue an anti-terror fatwa. I wonder how it stacks up against the "Shielding Fatwa" from the 1990s by Abu-Qatadah that allows indiscriminate killing of innocents including muslims, if they are shielding unbelievers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4694441.stm
The religious decree expresses condolences to the families of the victims of the atrocity and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.
It states Islam condemns the use of violence and the destruction of innocent lives and says suicide bombings are "vehemently prohibited".
The fatwa was issued by the British Muslim Forum (BMF) outside Parliament.