Warning sign: Iran's involvement reason to be very, very worried

It would be different if there were a history of responsible behavior in the international community -- and if there were no history.

But Iran's involvement in the battle to take parts of Iraq back from the Islamic extremists who are there is a real reason to pause and to rethink whether sitting back and watching events unfold in the Middle East is really a good idea.

You know what happened the last time Iran made its way into Iraq.

But what you might not be aware of is that there are some serious bad feelings among the sects in the area.

And that is a recipe for genocide.

So while it would be nice to believe that the continuing efforts at negotiations with Iran are in our best interest, and the president's promises that there is progress being made, there is more than enough reason to wonder just what the Iranians are up to -- and what consequences those actions could have on the stability in the region.

There is a price to be paid when a nation surrenders its role in the direction of the future of a volatile region. It is dangerous -- not only to the interests there, but to the stability of the world order.

This is a situation that bears watching -- and a reason to think hard about what we do next.

Published in Editorials on March 12, 2015 10:54 AM