and i think the iranians feel that somehow if you look through the history of persia you see that iraq was... or a good part of iraq was under persia and they look at the fact that it's shi'a and they really think that somehow iraq should be a subservient state. that is, they're not respecting their sovereignty and certainly what the iranians fear about iraq is iraq's democracy. now, lord knows it's not a perfect democracy, it's got a long way to go, but let me tell you, the iraqis at least can run an election. so i think the iranians have a lot to be concerned about from iraq's side. and, of course, the iranians are very much worried about their own internal problems. >> rose: i assume we've communicated to them to stop it, aren't we? >> i think the iranians are very well aware of our concerns about this malevolent influence. >> rose: my... i assume general petraeus told them, actually. stop it. >> i don't want to confirm any individual discussions, but i can assure you the iranians have been made well aware of our concerns. you know i.... >> rose: what are the consequences if they do

in the early 1900's in persia, later called iran, britain and russia tried to rule persia through a puppet government. in 1906 the persian people fought the shah and became a constitutional republic. they had a congress called the mayly to make their laws. american economic expert morgan shuster was appointed to that democratic government in 1911 to organize persia's finances. at that time members were threatened or bribed by russia with support from great britain to disband that constitutional government. shuster wrote in his memoirs about persian women who armed themselves and marched on the congress. he writes about those bold brave women. . out marched 300 women with the flush of undying determination in their cheeks. they were clad in plain black robes with white nets of veils drooped over their faces. many held pistols under their skirts or in the folds of their sleeves. straight to the congress they went. these persian mothers, wives and daughters dropped their veils, waved their pistols saying they had decided to kill their husbands and sons and leave behind their own bodies if the