http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17800345%255E1702,00..html
Iran 'reaps benefit of Iraq war'
By Dan De Luce in Washington
January 12, 2006
US President George W. Bush's administration had created a volatile
situation in Iraq that had benefited Iran and could degenerate into a
civil war, an ex-top aide to former secretary of state Colin Powell
said overnight.
Lawrence Wilkerson, Mr Powell's former chief of staff, said Iran's
Shiite theocracy had exploited the chaos and political vacuum in
neighbouring Iraq and had become the "principal winner" after the
toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.
"The Persians are the ones who are winning from this whole thing," Mr
Wilkerson said in a speech at the Centre for National Policy, a
Washington think tank.
"For most purposes, Iranians own the south (part of Iraq)," he said,
referring to the region where Shiites form an overwhelming majority.
There was a genuine threat of civil war in Iraq, and possibly not
along sectarian lines, he said.
Time and lives were lost in Iraq due to what Mr Wilkerson called
ineptitude and recklessness by the White House.
Mr Wilkerson, a Vietnam veteran and retired US army colonel, has
become an outspoken critic of the Bush administration since resigning
last year.
"We're looking at a strategic situation that may be more dangerous
than the situation we faced before we went in (to Iraq)," he said.
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"Who died and made you Pat Robertson?" - alt.atheism.holysmoke
"Andy screams and breaks out his crucifix." - Stoney
"Rice is steamed." -- Seethis Pass (alt.impeach.bush.)
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