Chatham House, the thinktank also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, has today released a report, here (pdf), that portends that Iran has been strengthened by US/British interference in the region.  This `interference' of course refers to the invasion of Iraq and the gutless acquiescence to Israel's actions against Lebanese civilians.

So, in essence, Chatham has decided that Iran is the chief beneficiary of Western policy in the Near East.

No shit?  Did they stay up all night?

Pretty much every informed (and by informed I mean non-right wing) commentator or blogger has made this assumption countless times.  In fact I have stated this very point on numerous occasions.

From February, link:

I rather question how democracy in Iraq is helping the War on terror. It seems the only winners are the Iranians, who have seen a hostile secularised Sunni dictatorship, replaced by a quasi-democratic Shia complaint state.

You have to wonder what these analysts are being paid for - maybe I should ask for a job?

There is no doubt the Bush Doctrine has been highly counterproductive, and has strengthened the hand of Ahmadinejad, and his theocratic puppet masters in Tehran.  The fact that Chatham House took this long to reach this conclusion is astounding.  Only a moron would deny that Iran has indeed emerged fron the past 5-years as the strongest Islamic State, and can now satisfy it long held desire to replace Egypt and Saudi Arabia as the main representative of the Islamic World.

Ahmadinejad should write another letter to President Bush - a thank you note.