But, in one of the greatest ironies of the U.S. intervention, Iraqis
instead went to the polls and elected a government with a strong
religious base — and very close ties to the Islamic republic next
door. It is the last thing the administration expected from its costly
Iraq policy — $300 billion and counting, U.S. and regional analysts
say.

washingtonpost.com: Iraq Winners Allied With Iran Are the Opposite of U.S. Vision: 2/14/05