“Politics has finally broken out in Iraq,” Biden said in an interview Thursday. “Everyone is in on the deal, and it’s real.” Biden’s upbeat comments came days after a new wave of attacks raised fears that Iraq might be slipping back toward sectarian violence. His staff proposed the interview in an effort to counter these worries…
As for Iran’s bid for influence, Biden was emphatic in arguing that it had failed. He disclosed that Tehran had spent up to $100 million to back the Shiite religious parties and subvert the Iraqiya bloc, a secular Sunni-Shiite alliance headed by Ayad Allawi, the former prime minister. Bolstered by a strong Sunni turnout, Iraqiya ended up winning the largest number of seats.
“It was a real stick in the eye of the Iranians,” Biden said of Tehran’s unsuccessful campaign to steer the election outcome.
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