So asks Paul Mirengoff, one-third of the the always-excellent Power Line blog. Secretary of State Clinton seems to be suggesting that engagement failed, not because it was inherently a bad idea, but rather because of the rise of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iranian society, a discovery Clinton voiced recently in Doha.

The problem is that the IRGC was in control well before Obama took over; its rise is nothing new. Here’s my colleague Ali Alfoneh, back in February 2008 detailing just how the Revolutionary Guards had eviscerated Iranian society.

Paul adds, in an update, “In fairness, it’s certainly possible that the gains of hardliners in Iran are related to purely internal developments.” Indeed, they were. But Obama’s failure to understand the role and reality of the IRGC prior to launching his initiatives was certainly reflective of professional incompetence. Then again, Obama recognized that he lacked foreign-policy experience. This is, in part, why he selected Joe Biden to be his vice president. Unfortunately, Biden’s record on Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is troubling indeed.