To Stop Iran, the US Must Hold Iraq
The other alternative is whether the US can come to terms with Iran, to stop its onslaught to rule the whole region. Again, the answer is not. The US cannot reach this goal since Iran is too revisionist, too ambitious to stop, too inflamed with the belief of its religious superiority to come true, and visions the strategic balance in favor of her. This is the American tragedy: to stop Iran the US must hold Iraq. No internal power, even regional exists to take the mission. "Fortress America" is not an option.
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Iran and Iraq are enemies, and all that occupying Iraq has done is allow Iran to build up while its enemy is occupied.
Taking out Saddam temporarily helped Iran. The secularist Sunni dictator often clashed with the radical Shi'a regime. Now that ship has sailed. To pull out now would give Iran dominance of Iraq, giving influence in the region as a whole to Iran and taking it away from the U.S. I do think it's amusing that people either don't know enough about geography or don't know enough about tactics and intimidation to realize that the U.S. occupation of two of Iran's neighbors was no accident. Planes need places to land, soldiers and Marines need a launch point. Iran has very little connection to the sea, so the US Navy is not a viable option, like it is with North Korea. Again, it is more for intimidation, but should military action become necessary, we are prepared.