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U.S. envoy says Iraq report will sound warning on Iran

NCRI – U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker during an interview with Reuters at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Thursday warned that pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq could open the door to a "major Iranian advance" that would threaten U.S. interests in the region.
"One area of clear concern is Iran. The Iranians aren’t going anywhere. I have significant concerns that a coalition withdrawal would lead to a major Iranian advance. And we need to consider what the consequences of that would be."  U.S. Ambassador said.

"Based on what I see on the ground, I think they are seeking a state that they can, by one means or another, control, weakened to the point that Tehran can set its agenda," he said.  

Tehran was seeking "greater influence, greater pressure on the government", said the veteran diplomat, a fluent Arabic speaker who has spent most of his career in the Middle East.
 
Crocker and the top U.S. general in Iraq, General David Petraeus are due to present a pivotal report to Congress in September on progress on the military and political fronts and make recommendations on the way forward.

Crocker said he was in daily contact with Petraeus but had not yet begun to draft his report, which is due to be presented on Sept. 15 and is seen by many as a watershed moment in the war that could trigger a change in U.S. policy, Reuters reported.