New Diplomatic Offensive

The first 15 recommendations made by the Iraq Study Group was what they call the "New Diplomatic Offensive" which basically is a fancy way of saying that Iraq's neighbors should be asked to help improve security in Iraq. It is obvious to everybody that they really mean Iran and Syria although they try to touch on other countries. There is one flaw in this train of thought, and that is the thought that Iran and Syria want a peaceful Iraq. Iran and Syria's primary goal is to take over Iraq. It is evident by Syria's action during the Lebanese Civil War and by Khomenei's attempt to spread his revolution when he beat back Saddam during their war. What these countries want is the removal of the US military, which is the only obstacle to their pursuit, so that they can expand their influence overtly in Iraq instead of behind the curtains as they are doing now.