Sistani stressed Iraqi unity in a meeting with Sunni religious figures. He opposes the division of Iraq.

  • When the U.S. pushed re-Baathification, Iran benefited by convincing Iraqi Shi’a that the U.S. wanted to restore Sunni dominance.
  • Bremer’s April 2004 firing of several thousand non-Baathist school teachers so that Baathists could have their jobs back underlined this.
  • The Iranians also exploited Iraqi Shi’a distrust developing from the 1991 U.S. abandonment of the Shi’a to Saddam’s helicopter gunships. Realism has long-term consequences.
  • Now, quoting Sistani, pro-Iranian forces spin the actions of U.S. Senators discussing Iraq’s division in order to convince Sunnis that Tehran cares more for Iraqi unity than Washington.