(NOW-Lebanon) Hanin Ghaddar - Iran is looking forward to a deal with the U.S. that will see sanctions lifted, a blind eye to its growing influence in the region, and eventually a supremacy that allows it to make major changes to the current geopolitical map of the Middle East. Arab Shiites are being gathered from all over the Middle East and Asia to help Iran build its realm and fight against Arab Sunnis. If the Iranian economy recovers after the deal, the region will drown in yet more blood, as Iran will have the financial means to boost its militias in the region. The reality imposed by Iran on the ground contradicts all assurances given by the U.S. to its regional allies. Iran is an occupying force by proxy, and will not abandon its ongoing pursuit of hegemony. Iran's militias in Iraq and Syria are not about to leave any time soon. They are here to stay. The perception of the U.S. in the region is changing. The majority of Sunnis now see the U.S. as taking sides in a sectarian fight, as an Iranian ally. Democracies like Lebanon, or potential democracies in the region, will slowly deteriorate because Iran will not acknowledge state institutions or tolerate freedom of speech. Liberal and civil groups or individuals will lose legitimacy in the region and civil society will crumble amidst sectarian bloodshed. Is this what the U.S. really wants the region to look like?
2015-03-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive