Iraq May Wield New Power In Region

As the sun sets over the Danube River, U.S. Army soldiers continue their search for possible hidden weapons cache while conducting Operation Boar Wild II, a cordon and search mission in Sharwa Um Jidir, eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 29, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 2nd Platoon Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brian D. Lehnhardt

From The Freep/AP:

Mideast neighbors seek stronger ties

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- As violence in Iraq recedes, neighboring nations are pondering how to deal with an unwieldy country that could reemerge as a key player along with Saudi Arabia and Iran in one of the world's most strategic regions.

The role of regional power broker may seem far-fetched for Iraq -- a devastated land best known for car bombs, death squads and suicide attackers.

Still, countries of the Middle East cannot ignore the potential role of a resurgent Iraq, a nation of 28 million people, bordering Iran to the east, Syria and Jordan to the west and sitting on one of the world's major pools of oil.

For those reasons, the United States cannot afford to lose focus on Iraq, which will remain a strategic and important country even after the last of the 140,000 American soldiers have gone home.

Clearly, Iraq is a long way from reestablishing itself as a major force in the region. In a first step, however, representatives of 35 international oil companies are to meet this month with Iraq's oil minister in London to discuss improving Iraqi gas and oil fields. Fellow Arab nations are discussing upgrading their relations with Iraq.

Iraq is likely to play a significant role in the U.S. Middle East policy for decades -- even as the Pentagon scales down military operations in the nation and ramps them up in Afghanistan.

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My Comment: Billions of barrels of oil. Ally to the U.S.. Training and developing an advanced military under U.S. supervision. Leaders that have been elected by their citizens. Free markets. Yup .... if sectarian war does not come back, Iraq is positioned to be the regional super power in a decade or so.