Iraq is helping Iran stand up to sanctions

US media report that a network of Iraqi financial institutions and oil smuggling operations provide Iran with a crucial flow of dollars to overcome the squeeze the Iranian economy is suffering as a result of  sanctions against its nuclear program. The network is made up of members of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s clique. It obtains for Iran goods in short supply and helps sell its oil overseas as Iraqi products. The media stress the Obama administration’s extreme reluctance to disclose Iraq’s aid to Iran so soon after US troops left the country.