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Iran’s Sudden Support for Iraq-US Security Pact

Juan Cole 11/18/2008

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Omid Memarian explains Iran’s turnaround on the Iraqi-US security agreement, which it was rejecting only last month:

‘Obama’s victory disarms leaders such as Ahmadinejad, who for decades have used inefficient American foreign policies as excuses to justify their own failures, mismanagement and corruption. Earlier this year, Ahmadinejad said that the “U.S. (political) establishment will not let Obama win the presidential election.” This was believed because in none of the Muslim countries, including Iran, does a man of a minority ethnicity like Obama have even a slim chance of getting a position in a high office. But American democracy allow this.’

McClatchy has more: “Reports from Iran’s state news agency called an Iraqi Cabinet vote that advanced the security compact a “victory for the ruling party and its Kurdish partners,” referring to the Shiite lawmakers who supported the agreement.”

Me, I agree with Memarian that the turning point was the election Obama. The Iranians would never have trusted McCain enough to hope for any good outcome from a security pact. But I think they are convinced that Obama really does want US troops out of Iraq, and that he wants to talk to Iran.

The Iranians haven’t changed their minds about the goal,of getting US troops out of Iraq,but they can now afford to be a little patient.

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About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page

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