Ten years after Iraq war began, Iran reaps the gains The influence of Tehran on its neighbor is growing, while the U.S., Iraqi officials and analysts say, pursues a policy of near-total disengagement.

By Ned Parker, Los Angeles Times March 28, 2013 | http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/la-fg-iraq-iran-influence-20130329,0,6737310,full.story

BAGHDAD — Ten years after the U.S.-led invasion to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the geopolitical winner of the war appears to be their common enemy: Iran.

American military forces are long gone, and Iraqi officials say Washington's political influence in Baghdad is now virtually nonexistent. Hussein is dead. But Iran has become an indispensable broker among Baghdad's new Shiite elite, and its influence continues to grow.