Interdicting Iran

The Iraqis are moving against Iranian smuggling points in southern Iraq near Basrah. This is a good thing.

For those not in the know, who are listening to all the leftward listing pundits talk about how the US is going to go to war with Iran, we already are. Iran has been running guns, explosives, money, and members of their military into Iraq with the expressed purpose of killing members of the US military. They have done this for years. The quest is not whether we at war with Iran. By any reasonable measure, we are. The question is whether we turn this Cold War with Iran into a Hot War.

The answer to that is preferably not. The Iranian government isn't free, it is a theocratic oligarchy. About half the political positions in the national government report not to the people of Iran through elections, but to the Supreme Leader who is appointed by the Assembly of Experts (86 Islamic scholars and priests). This includes half of the Guardian Council which decides who can run for nationwide offices. The national media, the army, etc. also report to the Supreme Leader. This is causing some friction in Iran, especially with the numerous young Iranians. Best to sit back and watch things fester and, hopefully, fall apart when the young Iranians and young Iraqis compare notes in a few years.