Iran continues to amaze me. Or, more accurately, the United States continues to amaze me with how inept we are about predicting and countering Iran. The New York Times reports that Iran has now started to use capitalism against us by planning to open an Iranian national bank branch in the heart of Baghdad, further binding the two countries and strengthening Iran’s influence.
Mr. Qumi, Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, said
“We have experience of reconstruction after war,” referring to the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. “We are ready to transfer this experience in terms of reconstruction to the Iraqis.”
It seems the Iranians have a much more fundamental understanding of the concept of winning “hearts and minds” than we do. What would be an equivalent move for the U.S., finding a couple pro-American Islamic clerics, and building them mosques in Baghdad?
Of course, pro-American clerics in Baghdad would be completely transparent puppets and, although Iranian bankers may also be puppets, it is much more difficult to arrest and deport bankers than spies. Proving that difference just became more difficult for the United States.
With this announcement, the Iranians have created a situation where we will have to sit down and ask them, “please don’t help capitalism flourish in Iraq.”
Amazing.
-SWL
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