Iran makes its move: Upstages U.S. efforts to calm down Iraq

This is an interesting move here by Tehran. They may have figured out that the way to battle the US is to out maneuver us in the diplomatic arena and make us semi-irrelevant in the Middle East, as we are starting to be in China's domain of South East Asia. If Iran builds some sense of unity in the Middle East and an approximate definition of stability, ie keep the oil flowing, then they will have made a case for not needing the US in that region any further. They will have also handed the US a major defeat in not having direct control of the oil resources in that region. This will go a lot further in damaging the US than any bomb would as we care barely if at all retaliate. There's not much to say if Iran can stabilize Iraq. We'll just have to live with mud on us.

However, this could all be smoke and mirrors which some say it is. If that is the case then they are merely using another stall tactic while they hurriedly construct a nuclear weapon...second verse, same as the first.

In an apparent bid to counter U.S. influence in the region, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad invited his Iraqi and Syrian counterparts to a weekend summit in Tehran to tackle the chaos in Iraq, Iraqi lawmakers said Monday.
The Iranian move appeared designed to upstage possible American efforts to reach out to Tehran and Damascus in a wider effort to subdue runaway violence in Iraq. Both are suspected of encouraging the fighting.

The invitation was also a display of Iran's increasingly muscular role in the Middle East, where it already has established deep influence over Syria and Lebanon.


Does Iran like the chaos?

Iran is thought to benefit from a low level of chaos in Iraq to keep the U.S. bogged down -- but is wary that too much bloodshed could cause trouble across its own border, where Kurds could become restive.

A close associate of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said the summit represents an attempt by Tehran to strengthen its position in the region and prevent the U.S. from dividing Syria, a predominantly Sunni Arab country, from its ally of convenience, Shiite Iran.

The State Department reacted with skepticism about Iran's intentions.

''We have seen statements like this many times in the past,'' spokesman Tom Casey said. But Iran's statements of a desire to reduce violence in Iraq ''have not been backed up by facts.''