Theory that Iran is cooperating puzzles some

[unhappycamper]

Theory that Iran is cooperating puzzles some
By Charles Levinson - USA Today
Posted : Monday Dec 17, 2007 8:18:22 EST

As violence continues to decline in Iraq, a debate is growing in Washington over whether Iran deserves a share of the credit.

A 50 percent drop in attacks by Iranian-linked armor-piercing roadside bombs, reported last week by the U.S. military, has prompted senior Iraqi officials and at least one U.S. Army general to conclude that Iran may be cooperating with U.S.-Iraqi efforts to stabilize the country.

Last month, Maj. Gen. James Simmons said Iran appeared to be standing by its October pledge to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to stem the flow of weapons into Iraq. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari seconded that notion last week, praising Iran for its help.

If Iran’s leaders have stopped laboring to sow discord across its border, that decision has left analysts puzzled.

“Maybe the more pragmatic side of their thinking has started to emerge, and maybe they’re less worried about Bush pushing for regime change in the last year of his presidency,” said Michael O’Hanlon, an Iraq expert at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington, D.C.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/12/gns_iranhelp_071217/