Today marks a notable milestone in the timeline of the Iraq War. I brashly mentioned several weeks ago that we really ought to be thinking about the conflict regionally. As Roggio comes with the the hardline proof that Iran is culpable, the evidence continues to mount that there's no easy way out for the US or any of the regional countries.
The Irbil raid in early January netted the most significant evidence, as well as a senior member of the Iranian Qods Force. Six Iranians were detained in Irbil, including Mohsin Chizari, the operational commander of the Qods Force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps specialized force that is equivalent to U.S. Special Forces. During the Irbil raid, "the Iranians were caught trying to flush documents down the toilet," and "bags of their hair were found... indicating they had tried to change their appearance." Chizari was "apprehended after slipping back into Iraq after a 10-month absence." Earlier it was reported Chizari was detained in the Baghdad raid, and subsequently released.
The smuggling routes have largely been identified, with "most of the components are entering Iraq near Amarah, the Iranian border city of Meran, and the Basra area of southern Iraq."
Add this to the growing list of factors which make for a very interesting picture recalling the long term view of a Shia presence in Mesopotamia. Aside from the radical fringe that want no such thing as Israel from the Iranian POV, the refusal of the new Fatah-Hamas governing body to recognize Israel and the guarantee that Saudi money will pour into a Sunni insurgency should Iraq collapse, and you have increasingly significant long-term stakes.
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