Wait a freaking second. Since when has Iran been an ally to Iraq? The Iraqi government has not even initiated diplomatic ties with Iran. Or does the writer think the dictatorial but Iranian-allied Mahdi rebels are the 'true' government of Iraq, and the democratically elected Maliki government is just some sort of sideshow to be ignored?
Shiite dominated Iraq has had close ties, at the populist level with Iran all along. When the central government was overthrown, the only source of credible authority for most of the country was the (Shiite) Mosques.
In an area where ethnicity is destiny, to call Iran an Ally is ... a useful shorthand.
What may be a bit of a stretch is to call the USA an Ally. While the Maliki government might find the USA useful, it is dubious if the USA is seen in glowing terms by the populace.
Ah, the *populist* level. The majority of whom voted for the Shiite but anti-Iranian Maliki, instead of the Shiite but pro-Iranian Sadr. Damned populists, don't they know they need to vote for our pro-Iranian narrative? This is why Iraq isn't ready for democracy, they don't know that Iranian control would be good for them.
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