Iranian Tentacles Into Iraq

Most of those who comment on Iran's attempt to influence Iraqi Shia, do so without considering the historical and cultural connection between these two peoples. The research presented directs its attention to the Iranian motives and capabilities and then to the first targets of Iranian influence efforts. Finally, the research considered the historical and cultural connections between Iraqi and Iranian Shia to identify the themes and methods that persuade Iraqi Shia to collaborate with Iran. Iran is presently conducting an aggressive strategic influence campaign into southern Iraq. The Iraqi Shia community is the primary target of Iranian efforts. Tehran's bases its motivations on national self-interest and religious-political ideals. The Iranian Regime advocates a religious political activism to expand fundamental religious ideals. The Shia community in Iraq holds on to the practice of religious-political self-preservation and seeks to conform to the state in order to exist. Members of both Shia communities hold varied cultural values, based on their historical development. Tehran uses methods along the spectrum of psychological persuasion to influence and subvert the Iraqi Shia community. Specifically, they target individual communities. The Iranian regime attempts to gain authority in Iraq via the same government institutions designed to control over its own population. The formidable Iranian government apparatus allows the targeting of the Iraqi population through efforts designed to achieve compliance and conformity. The Iraqi Shia society is fragmented, but nationalism also provides a powerful influence for this group. The majority of the Iraqi Shia community identify themselves as Iraqi citizens despite a common historical narrative and ethnic ties with the Iranian Shia population. Independent national principles foster Iraqi and Iranian nationalist sentiments and the division between the two states are likely to grow with the Iraqi government becoming more capable and effective of controlling its own state affairs. However, Iran will continue to attempt to exploit areas where the new Iraqi government has limited penetration along the southern border region.