The US State Department today expressed outrage over what it called the Iranian government’s “meddling” in the domestic politics of Iraq. The comments come as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, both the American and Iranian choice for a second term in office, was in Iran visiting top officials as well as potential coalition partners.
Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made it quite clear that it was their preference that Maliki form a Shi’ite dominated coalition and push for the exit of American occupation forces from the nation.
The feigned outrage, however, must seem incredible cynical coming just a day after reports emerged that the Obama Administration was itself engaged in very clear “meddling” on Maliki’s choice of coalition partners, demanding that presumptive ally (and outspoken US critic) Moqtada al-Sadr not be included in any government.
The March election saw the Iraqiya bloc, a secularist faction with strong Sunni backing, winning a narrow plurality, with Maliki’s State of Law bloc second and Sadr’s Iraqi National Alliance a distant but still meaningful third. No bloc is able to form a government alone, but any two could.
Yet after over seven months, clear fissures have emerged in each potential alliance, with the Maliki-Sadr pairing seemingly the only one close to being viable. Though US officials want Sadr cut out of the deal, it seems Maliki has little chance of forming a government without him.
What a lot of sour grapes.
If anyone has meddled in Iraqi politics it is the USA.
Not to mention 'meddling' with their infrastructure and enhancing their air, soil, and water with DU contamination!
And how about the hundreds of thousands of kids that died thanks to those "worth it" sanctions…and the decimation of their health care system?
Small beans to the 'liberators' I suppose…
Seriously how can these people keep a straight face when they say things like this.
This just reconfirms to me the fact that americans are self delusional, egotistic, war mongering war criminals.
It would be most gratifying to see them receive more than a modicum of what they have dished out, so maybe they would wake up from their stupor.
Then again, maybe they wouldn't.
Irony is just lost on these cretins.
We ARE getting, without bullets, bombs and invading armies, but the economic polices of this administration are surely just as destructive for Americans as the invasion of Iraq has been for Iraqis.
Yes. But they seem to judge own behavior as always fair, or at least with a fair purpose – what is good for the policeman (of the world) is good for everybody, or such childish one-sidet conviction (like the brute in the school class, or the godfather.) I remember from my studies in sociology, that it is a distinctive element of the criminal mind to be one-sided.
Good thing the USA hasn't meddled in Iraqi…. oh wait nevermind…
In 'Bizzaro-world' the definition of "meddling" is translated as "helping". You can't make this stuff up! Or could you? Because it really takes an insane narcissist, as chief actor, to make any sense out of this sad drama.
Uh, pot, kettle?
The State Department can go to hell. I am outraged by the US interference in the business of Iraq that is half way around the world and then yelling at a neighbor Shiite country for involving itself with Iraqi politics. Why can't the majority in Iraq have a right to self-determination? The State Department is so egrigiously wrong.
It is no surprise that Iraq is slowly but sure being drawn into the Iranian camp. This was predictable. I already commented on this inevitable development last year (See 'intensedebate' of 2 weeks ago).They are both Shi'ite countries. Besides Iran has been threatened by both the US and in particular Israel for many years now because ot its controversial nuclear program, so it only stands to reason that it will make attempts to ally itself to Iraq. Together with Lebanon's Hezbollah and Syria it might (hopefully) eventualy lead to a deterrent against the ever expanding territorial predatory ambitions of Israel and a more balanced political situation in the ME and force Israel to come to terms with the Palestinians.
We can only live in hope that these Madmen will one day come to their senses
I am outraged by the US State Department being outraged over a neighbor country of Iraq having some influence in that country. In the meantime, the US feels perfectly free to occupy, enforce policy on and lecture Iraq about who it can and cannot have relations with. Give me a break! A foreign policy run amok.
russ williams had the same ideas about his adventures, imagine them interfering
And we all know how the US scrupulously avoids meddling in other nation's politics. I'm glad we stayed out of France, Italy, the Balkans, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, pick any former Soviet sattelite nation, pick any nation in South America… need I go on? I absolutely LOVE that America is the only nation in the world with totally clean hands when it comes to meddling in foreign affairs.