It's hard to argue with him...

Ahmadinejad: US fueling Iraqi violence
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and JOHN AFFLECK, Associated Press Writers
Sun Mar 2, 2008
BAGHDAD - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on an historic trip to Baghdad Sunday that America fueled the violence in Iraq...

I'll note that the architects of this fiasco, Wolfowitz, Feith, Perle, Rumsfeld, Cheney - all of 'em were hailed as brilliant foreign-policy experts. And now? The article continues,

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.

Wolfowitz, in particular, was - and continues to be - cited for his towering intellect!

The article is a wealth of irony & "unintended consequences".

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.

... a public greeting which the article notes is quite different from that accorded U.S. officials,

He [Ahmadinejad] 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.

When U.S. officials visit Iraq, they seldom (never?) announce the visit beforehand, and do not trust Iraqi security to protect them.

The developing friendship between Iraq & Iran provides yet another response to those who would frighten us into staying. "Iraq will devolve into a terrorist haven if we leave!"... Well, no - maybe Iran will help secure Iraq against that future. Iran, after all, has to live in the neighborhood!

Stop the madness!