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Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204884404574364573231887260.html
Expect More Adventurism from Iran
[Wall Street Journal] Mohamad Bazzi - Shortly after the rigged election and popular uprising in Iran, a seductive conventional wisdom emerged in Western policy-making circles: The Iranian regime would be significantly weakened by internal problems and would abandon its regional ambitions. This is wishful thinking. The best way Iran's clerical hierarchy and military apparatus can shore up their Islamic and populist credentials, and maintain their grip on power, is to engage in more adventurism abroad. It is unlikely that the ruling clique can win back its legitimacy at home, but it will try to burnish its populist credentials abroad. Otherwise, the entire facade of an axis of resistance will crumble. President Obama should be careful not to overemphasize the notion of splitting Syria away from Iran. The Syrian-Iranian alliance has endured for more than 25 years. It cannot be undone lightly. The writer is an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a journalism professor at New York University.