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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (97004)	4/30/2003 9:53:33 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

I am all ears to hear both the whys and the hows of benefits to Iranian mullahs in establishing a strong Shia state in Iraq. The Shias of Iraq need financial support. The Iranians can provide that in exchange for aligning their Shia interests with those of the Iranian hardliners. The Iranians don't actually have to rule from Karbala, merely control how Shia policies in Iraq are carried out and controlling any leader of a Shiite Theocracy.. Again, this depends on advancing their Shiite commonalities over their ethnic differences. The Catholic church managed to spread their influence and control various other governments from the Vatican, why not the Shiites power meisters in Qom? But most importantly, while Karbala and the tomb of Hussein were in the hands of the Baathists, there was little opportunity to make Karbala a powerful religious center for an expanding Shiite movement into southern Iraq and eastern Saudi Arabia. But now that opportunity may be more feasible.. And ambitious Shiite clerics looking for followers and adherents seem like they are racing back to stake their claim and build up supporters. Just as there is a power vacuum in Baghdad, there is a power vacuum within Shiite Iraq... I just don't buy the argument that Iranian hardliners would just sit back and not attempt to influence events within the large Shiite population. It wouldn't make sense for them to just sit on the sidelines if there were no repercussions for meddling. Heck, were I them, I certainly would. Hawk