OUR PALS AND THE EVILDOERS SITTIN' IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...

At PortAl Iraq ("your Iraq business portal"), I see this news story:

Iran : Envoy says Iran best country for Iraq reconstruction

On June 1 Iraq's Ambassador to Iran, Mohammad Majid al-Sheikh, said that Iran is the most qualified country among neighboring states for reconstructing Iraq.

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) stated that the ambassador told businessmen of provincial Chamber of Commerce that Iran, due to its vicinity to Iraqi cities and high potentials, is a strong arm of Iraq and can help rebuild the war-shattered country....

The envoy said Iraq embassies in Iran are fully ready to issue short-term and long-term visas for Iranian constructors.

According to statistics, the value of products so far exchanged between Iraqi and Iranian tradesmen touched one billion dollars....

And there's this:

The Iraqi State Television (IST) said Monday that Iran and Iraq are to be linked by railroad, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

IST added that a short-term plan envisions a 60 km-long railroad between the cities of Khorramshahr in Iran and the southern Iraqi port of Basra.

Another long-term project calls for a railroad to be constructed from Western Iranian city Kermanshah to Iraqi province of Diala.

Previously the Iraqi transportation minister had said that Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria will be linked by railroad....

Yup, Syria too. Our good pal Syria.

Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari ... said prospect of economic cooperation between Iran and Iraq is bright and promising, adding that transactions would ne made through formal channels rather than through joint border....

He said that Iran's electricity would be exported to Iraq via western province of Ilam. He added that Abadan and Khorramshahr are the key points for trade with Iraq and they should be further activated.

Iraq has a huge percentage of the world's oil, but it needs to import electricity.

From Iran.

Mission accomplished.

*****

And if you visit the PortAl Iraq site, please patronize its sponsors, such as the Ann Corporation, purveyors of ARMORED CARS, BULLET PROOF VESTS. BALLISTIC BLANKETS. The armored cars are the real deal:

* FDIG's five sided armoring of passenger compartment to defeat high-powered rifle fire as listed below.

* Floor is fitted with blast protection to protect occupants against fragmentation from detonation of 2 DM-51 German ordnance hand grenades or equivalent....

* Vehicle armoring is constructed in such a way as to ensure that a projectile following a linear or angled path shall not enter the vehicle’s interior without contacting the armor material...

* Fuel tank is encased in ballistic steel....

* Driver window is to be operable to an opening of 3-4 inches for the purpose of document pass through.

* Stainless steel bolt installed in tailpipe

Wow, aren't you glad we've brought this country peace and freedom?