Iraq: Caught in an American-Iranian ‘Purgatory’

How frustrating is it for Iraqis, caught militarily and diplomatically between America and Iran?

For Iraq’s Azzaman newspaper, Fateh Abdusalam laments, “For the past few months, U.S. officials and candidates for the presidency have done all they can to avoid linking progress in the Iraq War to the possibility of talks with Iran. Instead, Republican candidate John McCain, a foreign policy hardliner and a warmonger since the Vietnam War when he spent four years in captivity, tried to give a ‘a new lease on life’ to the issue of the Iranian danger by discussing the threat Iran poses over the next five years – roughly the next President’s term of office.”

Meanwhile, Abdusalam writes,

“Whenever it detects the slightest softening from Washington, Tehran goes one step further and discloses the completion of yet another “nuclear” milestone, reassured that the danger has passed and that it holds more winning cards than America does.”

Abdusalam concludes,

“Iraq today finds itself stuck in a purgatory of no-war and no-peace between Iran and United States. Until it extricates itself from this state of affairs, Iraq will fail to establish its new status as a free nation..”

By Fateh Abdusala

Translated By Ahmed Naoual

April 17, 2008

Iraq – Azzaman – Original Article (Arabic)

For the past few months, U.S. officials and candidates for the presidency have done all they can to avoid linking progress in the Iraq War to the possibility of talks with Iran. Instead, Republican candidate John McCain, a foreign policy hardliner and a warmonger since the Vietnam War when he spent four years in captivity, tried to give a “a new lease on life” to the issue of the Iranian danger by discussing the threat Iran poses over the next five years – roughly the next President’s term of office.

As always, there is talk of diplomatic sanctions, such as denying the granting of visa’s to Iranian leaders for visiting Washington! Or amongst other sanctions that are not only cause for laughter inside Iran but throughout the world, freezing the bank account of the Revolutionary Guard commander who, of all the banks in the world, chose to open a personal or “revolutionary” account at a U.S.-based bank.

Meanwhile, whenever it detects the slightest softening from Washington, Tehran goes one step further and discloses the completion of yet another “nuclear” milestone, reassured that the danger has passed and that it holds more winning cards than America does, particularly in parts of Iraq and within the political parties that rule in Baghdad.

Against this backdrop, Iran will continue its care-free overstepping of all red lines, including threatening Israel with extinction if she dare “open her mouth” … Even as there are no indications of serious Israeli distress of the type that occurred on April 4, 1990, when Saddam threatened to wipe out a mere half of the Jewish State, leaving the other half intact.

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated foreign press coverage of the United States.