The Iranian President visited Iraq yesterday and didn't even bother sneaking in unannounced like our own former cheerleader President. I guess this is just yet one more example of the 'success' that the right wing is always boasting about.
This news report said the following about Ahmadinejad's trip:
The trip by Ahmadinejad, who once fought Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime as a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, was a dramatic illustration of one of the unintended consequences of the 2003 U.S. invasion - the replacement of Saddam with Shiite forces closely allied to the cleric-led Islamic republic next door.
Who would have ever thought this would happen? Oh right, all sorts of people! Even this crazy moonbat, from before the war even started (watch from 1:44:50).]
The article continues:
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Sunni Kurd, greeted Ahmadinejad with an honor guard and a band that played both countries' national anthems. The two held hands at the red-carpet welcome ceremony in a traditional display of friendship. Talabani told Ahmadinejad to call him "Uncle Jalal," as he known in Iraq's Kurdish north.
Does Bush even get treated this well when he tiptoes into Iraq?
Talabani said he and Ahmadinejad discussed economic, political, security and oil issues and planned to sign several unspecified agreements.
"We had very good talks that were friendly and brotherly,"
Ahmadinejad said. "We have mutual understandings and views in all fields, and both sides plan to improve relations as much as possible."
George Bush, accidental peacemaker.
Then he cut through the Green Zone to visit al-Maliki in his Cabinet offices. The sprawling, American-controlled zone contains a massive new U.S. embassy and is heavily protected against occasional rocket attacks, which the Americans have blamed on Iranian-backed Shiite extremists.
Ahmadinejad denied the charges at least twice during the day. "Such accusations increase the problems of the Americans in the region," he said.
What!? Ahmadinejad drove thru the Green Zone? Don't we control that? What a sight that must have been. Why didn't the US Ambassador invite him over for a chat while he was in the neighborhood?
Al-Maliki said Ahmadinejad's visit was "an expression of the strong desire of enhancing relations and developing mutual interests after the past tension during the dictatorship era."
Great! The Iraqi government (God bless our little puppets!) sounds like it's actually functioning for once. Can we just pay them 1/10th of what we've spent on the war for reparations & come home now?
About 1 million people died in the catastrophic war that erupted after Saddam invaded Iran in 1980. But when Saddam's regime fell to the U.S.-led invasion and Iraq's Shiite majority took power, long-standing ties between the Shiites of both countries flourished again.
Ahmadinejad said he was "very pleased with his visit to an Iraq not ruled by a dictator," and stressed that Iran wanted a stable Iraq that would benefit the region.
Feel the love.
"A united Iraq, a sovereign Iraq and an advanced Iraq is to the benefit of all regional nations and the people of Iran," he said.
He announced the dates of his visit in advance, landed at Baghdad International Airport in daylight and drove through the capital, albeit in a heavily guarded convoy, on a relatively quiet day. Iraqi forces provided security.
President Bush's visits are typically a surprise and involve trips to U.S. military bases, like his journey to an air base in Anbar province last September.
Good grief. Ahmadinejad has bigger balls than Bush. Can I be embarrassed of my President now? I doubt Bush will go back to Iraq while he's President and he sure as hell won't go back after he's removed from office. Bush is so cowardly he barricades himself in his pre-screened, heavily protected 'yes-men' bubble and we're not even in the middle of a civil war.
Isn't this deepening of relations between Iraq and Iran exactly what wingnuts were hoping would not happen? Am I still not allowed to say that our President is a failure, based on his own objectives?
After all we have spent in lives & treasure, let's see if wingnuts notice the shifting power equation in Iraq.
Mission Accomplished, indeed!