Told you so.
"Any Iranian involvement would risk not just a Sunni/Shia civil war in Iraq, but potentially a regional religious war. Saudi Arabia has virulently anti Shia militants in abundance, part of the Salafi creed of the extreme Wahhabis is to kill Shia as apostates. As regards Pakistan, Ramzi Yousseff (1993 WTC bomber) and Khaled (supposed Al Qaeda operations head) both come from Baluchistan in Pakistan, and honed their fanaticism on Pakistani Shia and attacks on Shia over the border in Iran. There are therefore many potential recruits for a jihad against the Shia. The Blair bush needs to tread very carefully here in my view." Me 2004.
"Mr Khalilzad suggested the situation was so dangerous that without a substantial US presence, a civil war could suck in other Arab countries on the side of the Sunnis and Iran on the side of the Shias, creating conditions for a regional conflict and disrupting global oil supplies. "That would make Taliban Afghanistan look like child's play," he said." US Ambassador to Iraq 2006
"Mr Khalilzad suggested the situation was so dangerous that without a substantial US presence, a civil war could suck in other Arab countries on the side of the Sunnis and Iran on the side of the Shias, creating conditions for a regional conflict and disrupting global oil supplies. "That would make Taliban Afghanistan look like child's play," he said." US Ambassador to Iraq 2006
