In what seems like an idiotic piece of symbolism thinly disguising the real intent, the Wall Street Journal (subs. req'd) reports --
BARDA, Iraq -- The Pentagon is preparing to build its first base for U.S. forces near the Iraqi-Iranian border, in a major new effort to curb the flow of advanced Iranian weaponry to Shiite militants across Iraq.
The push also includes construction of fortified checkpoints on the major highways leading from the Iranian border to Baghdad and the installation of X-ray machines and explosives-detecting sensors at the only formal border crossing between Iran and Iraq.
The measures come as the U.S. high command in Iraq has begun to recalibrate the overall American mission in the country to focus less on the Sunni Muslim radicals who were long the primary U.S. targets of pacifying the country and more on the Shiite Muslim militias suspected of maintaining close ties to Iran.
So the one airport style checkpoint is so that they can say "we're only trying to stop bad stuff coming in" -- while the Iranians will now be contemplating what exactly an American military base is doing 4 miles from their border.
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