America's Iraq Strategy Is Becoming Dependent On Iran

Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force, poses with Kurdish fighters in Iraq in this undated photo. (photo by Twitter/@Mojtaba_Fathi)

New York Times: U.S. Strategy in Iraq Increasingly Relies on Iran

WASHINGTON — At a time when President Obama is under political pressure from congressional Republicans over negotiations to rein in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, a startling paradox has emerged: Mr. Obama is becoming increasingly dependent on Iranian fighters as he tries to contain the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria without committing American ground troops.

In the four days since Iranian troops joined 30,000 Iraqi forces to try to wrest Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit back from Islamic State control, American officials have said the United States is not coordinating with Iran, one of its fiercest global foes, in the fight against a common enemy.

WNU Editor: Some are seeing this development as a positive thing .... Why Iran's rise is a good thing (CNN) .... but I have my doubts. But I do understand that in the current climate there is no stomach in the U.S. for a more active military role in Iraq .... and the Iraqis know that. So to them their choices are limited .... and Iran is offering to help. The question that needs to be answered is .... what does Iran expect in return from the Iraqi government for this assistance, and I will hazard a guess that the price (for the Iraqis and for U.S. policy in the region) is going to be high.