Claiming the prize!

In a post on 31 March I made the cynical prediction that:

W's Administration and the U.S. military in Iraq will now use Iran's "interference" in Iraq as justification for demonizing Iran and promoting military action against the Tehran regime.

Okay, I'll concede that the "promoting military action against the Tehran regime" part of this prediction has yet to be realized explicitly, but I'll take Rice's statements from the rich vein as completely fulfilling my cynical prediction:

"What they need to do is confirm and work for Iraq's Arab identity," she said. "That in and of itself will begin to shield (Iraq) from influences of Iran that are nefarious influences," Rice said at a news conference.
...
Rice said Iran must stop its "malign actions" in Iraq, where Washington says Tehran has stoked violence and was behind the latest fighting in the southern city of Basra.

I'll take the generally belligerent, demonizing tone towards Iran as a proxy for direct threats of military action against Iran.

The cynical prediction did imply that Iran's role in brokering Basra cease-fire would be used to assert Iranian "interference" in Iraq. I got this one dead-on!

Rice said Iran must stop its "malign actions" in Iraq, where Washington says Tehran has stoked violence and was behind the latest fighting in the southern city of Basra.

... tho', as noted below, W's Administration is playing fast & loose with facts in suggesting that Iran was "behind the latest fighting in the southern city of Basra." I'll take the reference to Basra as a complete fulfillment of at least that part of my cynical prediciton!

I'd set myself a deadline for this prediction: 21 March 2008.
It is today 17 March.
I win!

Stop the madness!