THE ANATOMY OF OUR DEFEAT IN IRAQ

It scares this editor to think that we were defeated; the fact is: we have. Iran has won the war against us in Iraq, and possibly in the Middle East. The OPPW ideologues had failed to see that the "defeat" of the Sunni regime in Iraq will result in a de facto Iranian victory over us. These ideologues became victim of their own propaganda.

OPPW has now placed the United States in the position of being beholden to Islamic Iran. Instead of modulating the

Sunni-dominated Iraqi Baathist government (to open up political participation), and pressuring Israel to withdraw from all lands it occupied in 1967--and support the formation and stability Palestinian state--OPPW set the United States on an anti-Arab Sunni course. Worse, it brought into Iraq first-rate con-artists, about whom the Iraqis (Sunnis and Shiites) know only one thing: that they are con-artist who hunger for money, and have never done any public service for their community. Some legitimacy for an American occupation.

Iran's victory is buttressed by the fact that the Bush administration is worried about Iraq's impact on the upcoming presidential elections. It is concerned--even running scared--that the continued high rate of American casualties and chaos in Iraq will lose it the re-election. To avoid an Iranian-induced exponential increase in those casualties and in chaos, this administration has had to strike a deal with the devil, so to speak: Iran. Accordingly, it has reached an agreement with the Islamic Republic: That the latter ease up on the United States in Iraq, by not activating its thousands of operatives within that country and using its influence to keep the Iraqi Shiites tame and cooperative with the occupation. In exchange the United States has offered the following major concessions:

1) The United States will concede partnership for Iran in Iraq. Read: Defeat.

2) The United States will abate its campaign for regime change in Iran. Read: Defeat.

3) The United States will rein in the Mujaheedin Khalq--or it'll have its puppet government in Iraq do it. Read: Defeat.

4) The United States will ease up on the Iranian nuclear bomb project, by giving Europe a voice which the U.S. had hitherto denied. Read: Defeat.

The understanding with Iran was reached thanks to multiple visits by American proxies to Tehran. The understanding is limited to Iraq. Outside that country, it's war, including a war of assassinations waged by the Israelis and the Americans against the Iranians and the Syrians. The latter won that war hands down when three Americans were killed in Gaza. Read: Defeat. (See SPC Alert.)

The costly neutralization of Iran in Iraq should not have much impact on the ongoing armed resistance to occupation. The resistance has the full support of the Arab Sunnis. These see the American occupation as meant to establish Kurdish and Shiite domination over them. They perceive an expat con-artist as an OPPW tool--a traitor who epitomizes lust for money--and nothing and no one else.

Worse of all, our defeat lies in the very fact that Iran increasingly is becoming the main referee in Iraqi politics. Syria's experience in Lebanon is certainly on Iran's mind, as Iran proceeds to swallow oil-rich Iraq. In fact, Syria's role as referee among the sects in Lebanon is so crucial to the running of even the day-to-day affairs of that country, that Syria should not be able to resign that role even if it wanted. Iran is fast gaining that role in Iraq, thanks to the stupidity of OPPW (Office of Propaganda and Psychological Warfare) and the right wing ideologues at the Pentagon, Likud enthusiasts included.