Iran

I see that the President has backed off his assertion that the Iranian government was arming Shiite militias in Iraq. He now contends that it is some rogue element of the Iranian army. I am not really sure there is any significance here, other than yet another example of this White House making an accusation only to later back away from-- or heavily qualify -- it.

What concerns me more our expectation that other countries -- some of them bordering Iraq - should take a hands off approach to events in their backyard. First, our own history clearly shows that we have had no problem arming, funding and otherwise influencing just about anyone at anytime. I worry the world will view this episode as just another example of the US trying to impose one set of rules on the rest of the world while we play by our own. (Think about it. If an armed civil war broke out in Mexico, Cuba, or Canada, would we sit on the sidelines and wait to see who won? We didn't in Latin America. )

Second, given Iran's longstanding support of the Shia in Iraq, did we really think they would not now offer Shiites support in their struggle against the Sunnis? Is this just another false assumption on our part? Wasn't this a totally foreseeable consequence of destabilizing Iraq?