Epstein Secrets

Iran not only exerts considerable influence over Iraq's prime minister, Noun al-Maliki, and his government, but it also has good relations with the Kurdistan's ruling clans, especially the Talibani family, and many Shia factions based in central and southern Iraq. Secondly, illicit trade with Iran brings

an at present. Until 2010, most of the sanctioned goods smuggled into Iran came through the UAE and Oman. Backed by the Iranian government and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), "small-size" strategic goods, including aircraft components and sophisticated electronic equipment, were smuggled into the Iranian islands

ons in the EFTA_R1_00228282 EFTA01841746 south. There would also be a strong temptation on the part of the country's Kurds to carve out a Syrian Kurdistan in the northeast. And unlike in Libya, where any negative consequences from the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi could be minimized in terms of the im

s influence throughout the region. Neither Iran nor Hezbollah in Lebanon would welcome those developments. Already there are reports that Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah fighters have supported the pro-Assad forces, and both would have strong incentives to back an Alawite insurgency against a Sunni-dom

that they would be treated with dignity and fairness as partners in governing the country. Second, relations between the central government and the Kurdistan region also deteriorated to the extent that Kurdish leaders became convinced that Iraq's federal structure had failed because the Maliki government

ain Iraq does not become wholly dependent on Iranian aid and that the US will play an important role in shaping the operational environment. Iran's Revolutionary Guards are already in Iraq advising and assisting the government on the military operations. Iran has openly declared its ability and EFTA00706980 inten