10:14AM
Time's Battleland: For all you Iran-is-winning types, the sad truth
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 10:14AM 
You get two variants of this logic: 1) if the US leaves Iraq, Iran wins automatically (or it's won already because the Shiite majority actually rules); and 2) even more than al-Qaeda, Iran is the real beneficiary of the Arab Spring.
Both judgments are wrong in the way that America's capacity for frantic self-doubt and self-blame are routinely wrong.
Read the entire post at Time's Battleland blog.
tagged Afghanistan, Arab Spring, China, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, US foreign policy | in Time's Battleland | Email Article | Permalink | Print Article
Afghanistan, Arab Spring, China, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, US foreign policy | in Time's Battleland | Email Article | Permalink | Print Article 
Reader Comments (5)
The Turks, the Greeks, the Persians? What century am I living in?
But Turkey doesn't have the clout Iran presently has in Iraq. Maliki and Al Sadr are more in cahoots with the Revolutionary Guard than with the AKP.
However, Iran will still be a big winner, just not Ahmedinejad's and the Mullah's Iran. Possibly within this decade, Iran will offer the World something new - the first post-Islamist regime the World has ever seen. (If you doubt me, check out Iran's demographics and literacy rates).
Iran will offer a much more compelling vision for the Islamic World than Turkey (unlike Turkey, they've been there and done that).
Continued support for the most reactionary feudal regime known to man (Saudi Arabia) will limit US influence in that region.
China and India will be huge beneficiaries of the "New Iron Silk Road" passing through Central Asia on to Europe.
Everyone will win big except the US, and that's exactly how its supposed to be.
(NB: Please adapt a smarter, more flexible foreign policy towards Iran - 1979 is long past).
Excellent insight to help us track our real allies in the Middle East.
This is off-topic.
India plans to build a railway via Iran to Afghanistan to harness the abundant mineral resources in Afghanistan.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8862583/India-plans-worlds-most-dangerous-railroad-from-Afghanistan-to-Iran.html
Will involve building a new port in Iran, which the US, will naturally oppose. If the Indians don't build it, the Chinese will.
My question - can the US afford to keep Iran at arms length like Cuba, and for how long?
Just FYI,
A better link: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-s-Track-3-Afghan-Iran-rail-link/Article1-763448.aspx
The Iranian port will be just 72 Km west of Gwadar.