Crossfire War – Rapid Fire News=Tehran – Baghdad – Damascus WATCH – West Asia – North – Northeast Africa Theatre: Iraq PM Maliki Arrived in Tehran for Three Day Strategic Relations Visit – Combined Baghdad – Tehran Strategy Against US/UK Occupation Forces – Syria Security Prevented Coup Attempt Against Assad in February
Night Watch: BAGHDAD – “The Prime Minister’s visit to Iran is considered a step in a series of visits…and to form a strategy committee to develop the relationship between the two nations.” That was the extremely frank statement from Ali al-Dabbagh, spokesman for the Baghdad government as Iraq Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived in Tehran Saturday afternoon for a three day visit. PressTV/AFP report al-Dabbagh continued to explain, openly, the real purpose of the visit is to present the, “Iraqi vision which is that it will not serve as bases or staging ground to launch attacks against neighboring countries.” He said this is obviously different from Washington’s “vision” which not only intends to use its bases in Iraq against Iran but also intends to sign a long term agreement to permit Washington to maintain bases in the country for at least several years after 2008. And obviously this strategic-military working visit by al-Maliki to Tehran is not what London-Washington wish to hear. This statement and visit is more threatening than anything said by the head of the Mahdi Army Muqtada al-Sadr or al-Qaeda and London-Washington are powerless to prevent it. al-Maliki was always mindful Iraq has more of a future working with Iran and other regional governments than with the West which is no longer seen as a progressive influence in the Muslim world. [PRESSTV]
Sa’dabad Complex – Tehran is on the verge of achieving one of the most impressive military-political coups in modern history, supplanting the military forces of an enemy in a neighboring country by convincing the government, installed by the enemy, to work against the foreign power, in this case London-Washington which have plans to attack Iran. This is why I have often referred to London-Washington as the lost alliance with the only nation in the region, Israel, capable of joint operations against Iran, surrounded by enemies. IRNA is reporting the high level Iraqi delegation was greeted at Mehrabad Airport by First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi. With Davoudi were the Ministers of: Foreign Affairs, Defense, Energy, Economic and Finance. [IRNA]
Sunday Prime Minister al-Maliki is to begin a series of meetings with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili. But perhaps most importantly al-Maliki’s first meeting is on Saturday night with Iran Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Ejeie at the Sa’dabad Complex. I suspect it is here the details of Baghdad’s role in the next wave of attacks against the foreign occupation will be worked out. It is part of Tehran-Baghdad’s regional strategy to limit any joint operation between Jerusalem-Washington against Iran’s bases and nuclear installations. I always remember Iran’s Defense Ministry stating several years ago, when U. S. President George W. Bush first started discussing attacking Iran as an “option on the table”, that Iran will not let Washington attack first. With military cooperation from Baghdad Iran will be able to keep the foreign forces in Iraq on the defensive.
Damascus – The mystery as to why the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad has never made public its findings concerning the disappearance of Hezbollah official Imad Mughniyeh in February is now being revealed. The Gulf-Times/DPA report officials in President Assad’s administration prevented a coup attempt against him in early February by Syrian intelligence officers working with violent Islamic groups. The reports are coming through the German paper Die Welt quoting German and “foreign” intelligence sources. The leader of the coup attempt was the an in-law to the President and head of Syria Military Intelligence Assef Shaukat who had planned to seize power while Assad was hosting an Arab League meeting. President Assad was informed of the scheme by Imad Mughniyeh, the senior Hezbollah official, which led to the arrest of Shaukat and 100 intelligence officers. Mughniyeh was assassinated by supporters of the coup a few days later on the 12th. [GULFTIMES]
The Syrian Embassy in Berlin is of course denying the report but Berlin is by far the most well informed intelligence center in the West and they have long been aware of the deadly internecine rivalry within the highest circles of Syria’s ruling family and political-military elite many of whom are inter-related. Publicly of course both Tehran-Damascus blamed Israel for Mughniyeh’s assassination.
