What Tehran, Baghdad and Beirut have in common

The Middle East war between Israel and Hezbollah is now impacting events on the ground in Iraq.  Late yesterday U.S. soldiers shot at a convoy of Shiites that were on their way to a pro-Hezbollah rally, killing one and wounding 16.  As word of the incident reached the rally, pro-Hezbollah advocates lashed out at America and Israel:

They also chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to the America." Beforethe march began, massive five meter (yard) long Israeli and Americanflags were painted on the street near the square for the marchers tostamp their feet on. The flags bore the caption: "This is terrorism".

On the same day, in Tehran, just 430 miles to the east of Baghdad, another Shiite demonstration took place as protesters threw stones at the British Embassy.

This mirrors the violent protest that took place in Beirut on July 30th, where demonstrators responded to Israel's air-strike that killed 50 refugees by breaking into the local UN building.

The pro-Hezbollah protests in Tehran, Baghdad and Beirut are significant because they represent a rise in Shiite Iran's geopolitical influence in the region.  Many academics say that Iran's recent regional power grab marks the formation of a new Shiite Crescent, which spans from Tehran though Baghdad to Beirut.  None of this is making it easier for our ongoing mission in Iraq, which is why a ceasefire by Israel is important so that we can halt the political polarization in the Arab world that is spiraling out of control.  In more simplified terms, neither our presence in Iraq nor the lack of diplomacy a few time zones to the west are helping America's longterm national security, which should be our number one priority right now.
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Other sites blogging about the Middle East war: Drudge Retort, Mother Jones, Rootless Cosmopolitan, Global Paradigms, Troubled Times, Bring it On!.