What Iran might do (and probably will) in Libya...

   Iran is making moves to consolidate power amidst the turmoil in the Arab world. Iran has been doing this before the uprisings, but it is easier for them to do this now that the world's focus is aimed at a more narrow field. This is one of those times when Iran and the US could have worked together for a common goal if Former President Bush hadn't ripped the phone line to Tehran out of the wall by including them in his "Axis of Evil" speech.

   Iran doesn't like Gaddafi. When I say "Iran" here I am talking about the government more than the average citizen, so that statement may not be universally true. It's like saying "Americans like Sarah Palin." In an article posted today, Ayatollah Khamenei said "We condemn 100 percent how Gaddafi was and is dealing with the people ... the killing of civilians." Iran has other motivations for disliking Gaddafi.

   Iran has blamed Gaddafi for the disappearance of Shia cleric Moussa al-Sadr way back in 1978 (read more). Iran doesn't forget things easily and it's no surprise that Khamenei jumped at the chance to denounce Gaddafi.

   Since Bush's remarks at the UN, Iran has written off any idea of negotiating with Washington. They decided that their best chance of fending off any attacks from Europe and Washington is by consolidating their power and building a list of allies.

   Iran has been moving weapons around Africa for sometime. Google "Iran Arms Shipment" and the most recent articles contain references from Senegal to Nigeria.

At this point Obama is facing too many problems at home and abroad to handle supporting a rebellion trying to overthrow a dictator. Since the UN voted for what I call the "No-Fly Zone Plus" Gaddafi's forces have taken a major hit and whether we say it or not, we are actively supporting the Libyan opposition force. This is where the US and Iran could have benefited from a relationship where we were at least on speaking terms. This is where a covert relationship with Iran could have been beneficial. Think "Charlie Wilson's War" in Libya.

  Khamenei said of the US concerning the rebels, "They could have armed them, given them anti-aircraft batteries, instead they witnessed the massacre of the people for one month."

   Iran right now is far more focused on Bahrain than on Libya, but they are watching what happens there along with the rest of the world. Iran has shown in the past that although they are Persian and not Arab, they still have the ability to work with Arabs to achieve their common goals. Iran has the ability to reach out to the rebels in Libya. They could support them through Hizbollah with training, weapons, supplies, money and battle hardened soldiers. At this point, the coalition raining cruise missiles and patrolling the skies over Libya have taken a side in the Libyan Civil War. The relevance of that remains to be seen, but if we don't give the rebels the aid that they need to win, we can be sure that someone else will.