LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Iraq: Iran Iraq
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Iraq has an area of 438,317 sq km (169,235 sq mi). It is bounded on the north by Turkey; on the east by Iran; on the south by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Persian Gulf; and on the west by Jordan and Syria.
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In 1975 the Kurds once again fought for their independence in N Iraq, but they suffered heavily when Iran withdrew support. Fighting led to the Iraqi bombing of Kurdish villages in parts of Iran, which again exacerbated tensions between the two countries. Opposition within Iraq grew among the Shiites, who were the majority of the population yet were excluded from political power. As the Islamic Revolution in neighboring Iran grew in the late 1970s, Iraqi leaders recognized its threat.
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Senior U.S. military commanders in Iraq “now portray the intransigence of Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government as the key threat facing the U.S.effort in Iraq, rather than al Qaeda terrorists, Sunni insurgents or Iranian-backed militias,” the Washington Post reports. “In more than adozen interviews, U.S. military officials expressed growing concern over the Iraqi government’s failure to capitalize on sharp declines in attacks against U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians.” Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T.Odierno tells the Post that the government currently has a chance toreach out to its former foes, but “it’s unclear how long that window isgoing to be open.”
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Drawing on the conclusion of the White Paper, Professor Tanter said, "Because the Iranian regime is the primary power broker in Iraq, it is necessary for the United States to devise methods of restraining Tehran's influence. Countering the Iranian regime in Iraq requires reaching out to its main opposition-the Mujahedeen-e Khalq. But such a move is not to assist the MEK; rather, reaching out to the MEK serves as a political counterweight to the Iranian regime's influence in Iraq, helps the United States end the sectarian violence and the insurgency, and balances the U.S. Government offer to join the international community in holding direct talks with the Iranian regime."
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This apprehension about Shi‘is is not unique to Iraq; it is a common characteristic of the Gulf states, with some governments fearing the establishment of an Islamist state along the Iranian lines. But reactions in Iraq to Shi‘i expressions of identity are far more extreme than anywhere else. As Gulf political culture has developed over the past decade, showing a more sophisticated approach to the Shi‘i issue, Iraq remains mired in old power struggles and conflicts over identity and destiny.
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US President George Bush lists Iraq, Iran, North Korea and Syria as part of an "axis of evil" in his state of the nation speech to Congress. "By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger," he says and shifts the focus of US foreign policy from terror groups to governments.
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