October 22, 2007 (LPAC)--This morning's Washington ComPost reports that the top U.S. officials in Iraq have now concluded that Shi'ite militias pose an increasing threat to U.S. forces, as influence of Al Qaeda and Sunni insurgent groups is diminishing. The Post says that this view is part of the changes that Ambassador Ryan Crocker and U.S. military commander Gen. David Petreaus approved for their classified strategic document for Iraq, which contemplates shifting more of the U.S. effort to focus on the Shi'ite militias, some of which are said to be backed by Iran.

How this could be played is indicated by the rantings of Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol on Fox News Sunday, where he argued, with respect to Iran, that "we are going to have to be serious about dealing with both their intervention in Iraq -- which is now the only real threat, I think, incidentally, to relative success in Iraq -- and their nuclear program." When Kristol was asked if he is saying that there's going to be a war, Kristol replied, "I think there could be a use of force.... I think the short- term question is does Petraeus think he needs a little help across the border to secure our successes in Iraq. And if so, I think the President will give it to him."

Meanwhile, U.S. News & World Report magazine notes that although the Bush Administration is still targetting Iran's Revolutionary Guard, it has not yet issued the promised formal designation of the Guard as a terrorist organization, and Admininstration is being tight-lipped about how, or even whether, it will proceed with this. There has been a lot of push-back from European allies, who warned that this would devastate whatever prospects remain for diplomacy at the UN Security Council.