Iran Attacks: 30 April 2016 Sadr Supporters Storm Green Zone & CoR

At present our NSC should be evaluating the Strategic and Operational implications of this move.  Off the top of my head I would say:

Strategic for Iran: A preemptive move,

a.  a first mover advantage given all the foolish rhetoric emanating from Western European & N. American governments about the need to divide up Iraq. Sadr was marginalized a few years ago but like any kept Junkyard Dog Sulamaeni has let him off the leash;

b. with the recent setback in Iran for the moderates backing Rouhani Khameni is sending a clear message to the Najaf Ayatollah's especially moderate Ali al-Sistani & leadership of SCIRI that the Extremists in Iran will now exert even greater control over Iraq & the Shia following (Najaf & Qom have been fighting over Theological Supremacy returning to Najaf since our 2003 invasion. Qom became the theological center when the 1980s Iran-Iraq War erupted.  Najaf is the original Mecca theological equivalent for Shia);

c. should the continued failings of Iraqi and Coalition forces to dispose ISIS result in ISIS regaining the initiative;

d. Saudi's recent announcement about re-inventing the Kingdom to become more self-sufficient militarily and upping their support for radical elements in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and the Levant.  A public offering of ARAMCO will provide Saudi Arabia with a monstrous cash windfall and ensure their ability to store, re-engineer and eventually develop their own Nuclear Weapon technology based off their purchases from Pakistan.

TBD: Implications for the US and others being studied now. More later.