Re: Has the Iraq War hurt our ability to deal with this whacko PM in I
Yes, the war in Iraq obviously hurts our ability to deal with Iran for several reasons.
1) The military is badly overextended and it appears that there is little stomach for another major offensive action among the armed forces. I don't think anybody really feels that a major action against Iran is on the table right now.
2) As a very powerful neighbor with a developed secret service and a history of funding small-scale terrorism, Iran obviously has the ability to really make our lives difficult in Iraq in terms of the insurgency.
3) Some elements of the Shiite community and the Shiite leadership in Iraq have charitable feelings toward their fellow Shiites across the border (I don't think is universally true though). If we attack Iran, we really endanger our ability to nurture a sympathetic Shiite government in Iraq.
Among the many detrimental legacies of the Iraq war, the narrowness of the policy space regarding Iran may turn out to be one of the most important in the long run from a strategic standpoint.
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