Ahmadinejad is having a LOVELY time in Iraq!

[annabanana]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7273431.stm
Before leaving for Iraq, Mr Ahmadinejad laughed off the American accusations.
"Is it not funny that those with 160,000 forces in Iraq accuse us of interference?" he asked

During the long war between them in the 1980s, many of the prominent Shia now in positions of power in Iraq fled to Iran as Saddam Hussein cracked down on internal dissent.

The US-led overthrow of Saddam's regime allowed them to return from exile.

Further complicating the relationship between the US, Iraq and Iran is the potential of Iran to be a US ally - against al-Qaeda and the Taleban in Afghanistan, says the BBC's Hugh Sykes in Baghdad.
Shia Iran has little in common with the fundamentalist Wahhabists of the Taleban and al-Qaeda, he says.

Wouldn't have been nice if someone in authority in the US had, you know, read a book or something about the mideast?

[idovoodoo]

1. The only book they care about is the one containing estimates of oil reserves.

...

[CJCRANE]

2. This will call Bushco's bluff

because they don't want to get rid of al-Qaeda. Where will their war profits come from if peace breaks out?

[Hydra]

3. Bush is probably smirking right now

"Laugh it up, Ahmadinejad- will you still be laughing when we bomb you into the stone age?"

[Crunchy Frog]

4. Well, it's nice to know that our war did SOMETHING to advance peace in the region.

:sarcasm:

[madokie]

5. Yep, many of us knew just what to expect. Then.

[tanyev]

6. TPM: Greeted by sweets and flowers! Just not for us.

Pomp and ceremony greeted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his arrival in Iraq on Sunday, the fanfare a stark contrast to the rushed and secretive visits of his bitter rival U.S. President George W. Bush.

Ahmadinejad held hands with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani as they walked down a red carpet to the tune of their countries' national anthems, his visit the first by an Iranian president since the two neighbours fought a ruinous war in the 1980s.

His warm reception, in which he was hugged and kissed by Iraqi officials and presented with flowers by children, was Iraq's first full state welcome for any leader since the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/