...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet
militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word
Iranis a cognate form of
Aryan,the abbreviation
IRGCis a cognate form of
Stürmabteilung (or SA),the term
Supreme Guideis a cognate form of either
Shahor
Führeror maybe both, and they hate
runs a shadow government in Iraq, which is "no secret" to the public, officials in Baghdad told The National, as leaked intelligence reports detailing how Tehran holds sway over its neighbour were published on Monday.
The New York Times
...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize...
and The Intercept say they have reviewed over 700 pages of reports written mainly in 2014 and 2015 by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security that show "how aggressively Tehran has worked to embed itself into Iraqi affairs." It includes paying Iraqi agents working for the United States to switch sides.
"Of course, it is no secret that Iran controls different sectors of the government and parliament," a senior Iraqi official, who chose to remain anonymous, told The National.
"Everyone knows that there is a shadow government run by Qassem Soleimani
that has infiltrated the political, economic and security sectors of the Iraqi state," he said.General Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, is Tehran's point man on Iraq and travels there frequently during times of political turmoil.
Demonstrators took the streets of Baghdad and southern cities last month in anger over corruption and the government's close ties to Iran.
The documents showed that Mr Soleimani was seen in Iraq after the protests kicked off.
He chaired various meetings to persuade allies in the Iraqi parliament to help Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to hold on to his role.
What the leaked documents show is a confirmation of the details and names that the public already knew about, the official said.
In the 16 years since the fall of Saddam, Iran has emerged as a key power broker in Iraqi politics, with arguably greater influence than the US in the Shiite majority country.
The documents "offer a detailed portrait of just how aggressively Tehran has worked to embed itself into Iraqi affairs, and of the unique role of General Soleimani," the two outlets said.
The information in the documents can be "classified as new black points to Iraq's dark history", Hashim Al Hashimi, an Iraqi security expert, told The National.
"Details of the report are not new to those interested in Iraq's political affairs, they will also not renew concerns about the people mentioned in them," he said.
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