I could never fully comprehend the logic behind our modern monument to imperialistic hubris that is our outsized Embassy in Baghdad. One would have to be a true believer in our God ordained manifest destiny to admire that monstrosity. Those types do exist. At one time the management coven at Defense HUMINT planned on establishing a massive operating base in that Embassy to control operations throughout the region. It was going to be Defense HUMINT forward… an outpost of the empire.
That embassy compound is once again becoming the focal point of our Mideast empire. Events of the last few days have seen to that. Last weekend, in response to a rocket attack on a base outside Kirkuk that left one US contractor dead and four US servicemen wounded, we launched drone strikes on five Iraqi PMU outposts in Iraq and Syria near Abukamal killing 25 members and wounding scores more of the Kata’ib Hezbollah brigades of the PMU.
We blamed Iran and the Kata’ib Hezbollah for the rocket attack near Kirkuk. That may be true, but the Kata’ib Hezbollah is not some rogue militia controlled out of Teheran. It is an integral part of the PMU, its 46th and 47th brigades and has been for years. The PMU is an integral part of the Iraqi military and has been for years. The PMU played a major role in defeating IS in both Iraq and Syria. Our attack on the Kata’ib Hezbollah outposts was an attack on the Iraqi military and government. We informed PM Abdul-Mahdi of our intended attacks. Abdul-Mahadi warned us not to do it, but, of course, we conducted the attacks despite his warning. We were proud of the attacks. The Pentagon even released footage of the attacks. It was supposed to be a clear message to Teheran.
Unfortunately for us, the message was also heard by Iraqis. After the funerals of many of the victims of our attacks on the PMU outposts, a large crowd of protestors headed for the US Embassy in the Green Zone. For weeks prior to this, Iraqi security forces kept protestors from entering the Green Zone and approaching the US Embassy. Not this time. The crowds, including mourners fresh from the funerals of their family members and many PMU soldiers, unarmed but in uniform, poured into the Green Zone right to the gates of the Embassy itself. A reception area was entered and burned. Iraqi security forces of the PrimeMinister’s Counter Terrorism Command were among the protestors. I surmise that PM Abdul-Mahdi was sending his own message back to the US.
Today, the PMU has told its troops to leave the vicinity of the Embassy as directed by the PM. Protests and rock throwings continue, but the Iraqi security forces are keeping a lid on the protestors more aggressive actions. The US sent an additional hundred Marines into the Embassy compound last night and appears to be also sending a battalion from the 82nd Airborne to the Embassy. (That shows just how oversized this Embassy is.)
For weeks, it was Iranian consulates and facilities that bore the brunt of Iraqi popular unrest. Iran reacted with restraint. With our lethal attacks on the Kata’ib Hezbollah, we changed that. Pompeo, Esper and Trump are keeping up the trash talking. Threatening Iran by killing Iraqis… whose ass was that brilliant diplomatic strategy pulled from?
I recommend an essay written by Haidar Sumeri on Sunday, before the protestors descended on the US Embassy, entitled “American Strikes in Iraq Have Just Made a Bad Situation Much Worse.” Sumeri is a long time commentator on regional issues, especially Iraqi security issues. His analysis is especially cogent given the events of the last two days. His writings may be worth following as this situation unfolds.
TTG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtRSIl2MAoQ (Al Jazeera coverage of the protestors at the US Embassy with interesting commentary)
In hockey it’s called “drawing a penalty” – causing the other guy to lose his cool and retaliate stupidly, getting a penalty. Whoever sent the rockets that initiated this mess (and it may have been KH but I would guess some other malicious party) got exactly what they wanted – a US over-reaction. I have a hard time believing Pompeus MAximus was first in his class after this stupidity, but perhaps he really wants to inflame Iraqi’s against the USA. Good job, then, Pompeus.
What I don’t understand, is If the PM was given a heads up, why didn’t he get on the horn and give these guys some warning. Give them a chance to scatter. Would anyone here sit still and let a bunch of their guys get killed?
The below paragraph is from 2004, by the notorious Thomas Friedman, whom I trust as far as I can throw Fred Kagan. Was he lying about Iraqis calling US troops “Jews”? If not, is this nickname still being used? Did it spread to Syria?
I was speaking the other day with Scott Pelley of CBS News’s “60 Minutes” about the mood in Iraq. He had just returned from filming a piece there and he told me something disturbing. Scott had gone around and asked Iraqis on the streets what they called American troops — wondering if they had nicknames for us in the way we used to call the Nazis “Krauts” or the Vietcong “Charlie.” And what did he find? “Many Iraqis have so much distrust for U.S. forces we found they’ve come up with a nickname for our troops,” Scott said. “They call American soldiers ‘The Jews,’ as in, ‘Don’t go down that street, the Jews set up a roadblock.”‘
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/opinion/jews-israel-and-america.html
Brad, according to the Pentagon, the PM was given 30 minutes notice. The PM wasted his time trying to convince CJTFOIR not to strike. We never had any intention of listening to him.
Brad, Good question, however I’m trying to get what the initial justification was for the Iraqi forces to attack the U.S. forces
killing a contractor & wounding some U.S. troops. I’ll welcome a
response/explanation from anyone. I’m trying to understand how this
entire situation started.
Vegetius, it’s crude shorthand. I know a lot of people who, without thinking, equate the current Likudnik Israeli government actions with Jews in general. The Iraqis just consider American troops as pawns doing the bidding of the Israeli government. I can’t say they’re wrong.
Axis of Evil plots a two-front war. Interesting timing.
The Federalist weighs in with a 180 degree different view point – looks more like a media war played out on the home front than facts played out on the ground. But far more concern this is one more tar baby, like everything else in the Middle East. https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/01/the-media-is-lying-about-the-attacks-on-the-embassy-in-baghdad/
Just when I was starting to sort out all those Ukrainian names, now I have a new vocabulary list of Iraqi’s and Iranians to track too.
Thank you
Elora Danan
You don’t sound like your usual girlie self and you continue, perhaps deliberately, to underestimate the collective ineptitude of the US government.
Elora,
I wish I could find photos of the US embassy in Managua which do it justice. It is huge – and it sits up on a ridge that overlooks the city. The Poles complain about the imperialistic hubris of the Russian embassy in Warsaw – but it is nothing in comparison.
Factotum,
Your Federalist piece looks like neocon propaganda to me.
Shias ~ US ~= Germans ~ Rome.
Thanks for responding Elora, however I wonder who are the”Israeli operatives”? Sunnis employed by Israel? For purposes of smuggling oil. I don’get it…they’re smuggling oil so they attack U.S. forces??? A false flag op in hopes of heating up U.S. Iran conflict? I can’t connect too many dots & the initial aggression is done under an Iraqi flag? This is too convoluted. And how is the oil transported to Israel?
What’s next in the realm of conspiracies? It was a U.S. friendly fire cover up? How about the official version? The Iranians just want to get it on & think the Chinese &/or Russians will back them in getting the
U.S. out of Iraq? Will we ever really know?
Perhaps this should all be called “Operation Rope-A-Dope” since the initial attack on Kata’ib Hezbollah outposts, as you describe, brought a rather predictable response from Iraqi’s and forced, or allowed Mike Pompous and Mark Esper to influence, Trump’s response. You would think that both a Former head of the CIA and the current Secretary of Defense would be aware of the facts you point out regarding Kata’ib Hezbollah being part of the PMU and integral to the Iraq military’s actions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Not only has the US killed people who might not actually have been involved in the triggering incident but we also managed to damage our country’s already shaky credibility in Iraq. But on a bright note Pompeo can claim to have big cahones when he runs for Senate in Kansas since he and Esper manged to get Trump to increase troop levels by almost 100%.
Congradulations on getting played Mr. “what are we doing in the Middle East”. Should we conclude that the sanctions that we are being told are driving regime change in Iran aren’t working and their government is so stable that they do the one thing that will trigger a resonse – attack Americans? I didn’t realize you thought Iran’s government wasn’t as smart as Syria’s. At least you get to tweet about “anti-Benghazi” and be all macho. Maybe you should have told the best and brightest no to the attack Kata’ib Hezbollah without some real evidence; then get them to explain just why they thought units of Iraq’s militray would do something so stupid to begin with.
however I’m trying to get what the initial justification was for the Iraqi forces to attack the U.S. forces killing a contractor & wounding some U.S. troops
Who can confirm that it was the Iraqi forces who did the attacks?
Only Pompeo and his ilks are spewing the misleading myth that it is Iran , even to the point of equating KH with Hizb’Allah from South Lebanon. Oh, because they found four unused rockets ” made in Iran” !
Terry, you lost me. What are you saying?
Elora Danan, my advice, querida mía, is FIDO 😉
Ask the guys that decided it was a good idea to put a P8 Poseidon up in the air and violate Iran’s airspace 6 months ago…
The Israelis have been very active with the Kurds for almost 2 decades. The Kurdistan dream was one of their goals, but the culmination of it was dashed by Soleimani within 48 hours.
TTG,
Yes, another in the seemingly unending sequence of unforced errors.
Given your comment about “God ordained manifest destiny” perhaps it’s reasonable to bring a recent essay by Patrick Lawrence (“After Exceptionalism”) to the committee’s attention.
https://raritanquarterly.rutgers.edu/39-2-lawrence
“There is no certainty Americans will reach for any of what is available to them. To abandon our claims to exceptionalism is to give up our customary assumption of assured American success. It requires us to accept the difference between destiny and possibility. One does not find abundant signs Americans are yet ready to do this—not among our leaders, in any case. There seems to be little awareness that the only alternative to the change of course Jimmy Carter favoured forty years ago this past summer is decline—decline not as a fate but as a choice, one made even as we do not know we are making it.”
I am of mixed feelings. We never should have gone into Iraq in the first place. But since we had then we should have left 16 years ago after the capture of Saddam. And never should have gone back in to fight ISIS.
On the other hand I find it hard to believe comments that the 27 Dec rocket attack on the K1 Base was a false flag, or a minor pinprick that we responded to disproportionately. This latest attack was just one of 11 in the last 60 days by Kata’ib Hezbollah on Iraqi bases where US personnel were present. And the latest attack was with over 30 rockets; there were six WIA, four US & two Iraqi, in addition to the dead contractor. And since 2007 Kata’ib Hezbollah has been responsible for numerous violent terrorist attacks with snipers, IEDs, RPGs, mortars (and rocket-assisted mortars), and Katyusha rockets on both Coalition and Iraqi forces. Plus they also killed two UN workers and wounded 15 in a November 2008 attack, which led to them being designated as a terrorist organization. So as far as I’m concerned these bozos have had it coming for a long time.
But our method of response was still a mistake. I agree with Colonel Lang that you should not underestimate the ineptitude of the US Government. Pompeo should have heeded the Iraqi PM’s advice and haledt the air strikes. Doesn’t anybody in Pompeo’s State Department know that several of the leadership of Kata’ib Hezbollah have embedded themselves within the Iraqi Government at a high level?
TTG,
I think he is saying “Shias are to the US what the Germans were to Rome” … in other words, the barbarians that will bring down the empire. I think he is wrong. I think the Persians (more broadly R+6) are learning from the US/UK and adopting their techniques and technologies – they won Iraq via the ballot box and now they are deploying Long Range Precision Strike capabilities. So I would compare the Persians to either the Japanese or the Germans when they were rising powers … except that they were both soundly defeated, and I am not sure the Persians will be.
The Izzies have also been very active with Turkey in helping to fight the Kurdish PKK. There is mutual antagonism between Israel and the Kurds in Turkey and Syria. It dates back to Bashar Assad’s father Hafez, who sent PKK units to southern Lebanon in 1982 to fight alongside the Palestinian Resistance against the Israeli occupation. That may have changed lately in Israel’s thinking. But the Syrian Kurdish leadership knows that any help they get from Israel would be a poison pill for them and want nothing to do with it.
It is different for the Tel Aviv relationship with Iraqi Kurds. They have long been trying to get them to help acquire intel sources within the Iranian Kurdish community.
JamesT, Ah, I would have gotten the analogy if Terry mentioned the Gauls or the Helvetians. Thanks.
Dear Vegetius, trusting Thomas Friedman as far as you can throw Fred Kagan means you are far too trusting.
Given sufficient adrenaline, a well positioned slope and surprise, most human beings can throw Fred Kagan significantly farther then anyone should any human being should trust Thomas Friedman.
@ Those familar with degrees of US government shenanigans:
1:Did they mistake Kataeb Hezbollah for Lebanese Hezbollah or (pretty sure erraneously) believed that these 2 organisations are particularly related?
2: Was the “missle attack” more actually important or more of an excuse for doing what they were going to do anyways?
3: At roughly what rate would you bet 1000 of your own Dollars that Kataeb Hezbollah was actually responsible for the rocket attack? I dont think I would settle for less advantageous then 1:7 (meaning I would get back 7000 dollars if it was true).
In the final chapter, the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman nor an empire. It was a German collection of profane princelings. Is this what the Shias are supposed to do to the US too?
Just show how we can come up with different interpretations reading the same words. Next?
You can never out-bargain an Arab rug merchant. Words I learned to live by.
regarding Pompeo, he is completely in tune with the Trump admins larger strategy here. Annie links to his efforts one year earlier:
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/12/after-us-strike-on-iraqi-forces-its-troops-will-again-have-to-leave.html?cid=6a00d8341c640e53ef0240a4d8154f200d#comment-6a00d8341c640e53ef0240a4d8154f200d
Elora, you wrote:
A veces pienso que leo demasiado, Pat…la verdad… me he hecho el propósito de leer otras cosas..( libros, por ejemplo ), pero la verdad es que me gusta esto bastante… estar bien informada, aunque, a veces, es un poco deprimente, pero, qué le voy a hacer?
This that you wrote translates as follows:
At times I ponder that I read too much. Pat….the truth…I have become the purpose of reading other things (books, for example), but the truth is that I like that a lot… being well informed, although, at times, it is a little depressing, but, what am I going to do to you?
If you wanted to say: Pat, what am I going to do? You would say Pat, qué voy a hacer? Adding the le introduces the direct object.
I have no idea what you are trying to say. The purpose of your life is to read other things? ¿Qué?
factotum
Not true, but if you do that you will regret it because you probably shamed him into a deal that hurt him financially.
Elora;
Please do not confuse me with Pompeo. I despise the man and criticize him every chance I get. In verbal conversations at the local coffee shop I refer to him as pom-pom, or pompón to you. As far as I am concerned he is a moron.
I can read MoA on my own, you don’t need to repost it here. Much in Oprisko’s rant sounds like boiled over conspiracy theories. Garbage imho.
Choosing a rug from all the colors and patterns on offer was so difficult it left no time for bargaining.
And anyway, the beauty graces our home for years — generations, even. I can’t stand it when I pay 20 cents more for gas than I could have if I’d gone to the next block, but I have never given a second thought to whether I paid too much for a Persian rug.
The origins of the Sacrum Imperium Romanum, the Holy Roman Empire lie in the partition of the Carolingian Empire or Romanorum sive Francorum imperium, the Empire of the Romans and Franks.
Now the Franks historically were a “German” tribe too. In other words some type of “profane” but rather sucessful earlier “princelings” took over from the Romans.
History does not start in the 16th century in Europe.
¿Qué LE voy a hacer?
What am I going to do ABOUT IT…
You should specify what “lumbrera” means, probably a good translation would be: the brightest bulb in the (mess) room…
“The Kurdistan dream…was dashed…” interesting play on words:dashed
or Da’eshed? Well for a couple of thousand years Israel’s dream was
dashed too wasn’t it? Sometimes dreams come true when you wish upon a star…Erdo is no spring chicken, ditto many of the Ayatollahs, The Donald,
etc. Who knows perhaps the future will be full of surprises. Opt for
soivernity may have tribal roots that go deeper than recent land grabs &
lines drawn by foreigners on global maps.
I have no idea what you are trying to say. The purpose of your life is to read other things? ¿Qué?
standard guesture of submission, protestations of innocence, I am harmlessness. Not necessarily helpful. Maybe?
Personally, i find the device of communicating with her name ‘self’, Elora Danan, interesting.
on: “Mr. “what are we doing in the Middle East”
you may heavily disagree, but I liked it:
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/12/31/washingtons-iraq-catastrophe/
I guess you didn’t understand why I put “Made In Iran”. Genuine products from Iran are labelled Made in the Islamic Republic of Iran .
Only Nikki Haley, MBZ/Saudis and the Israel Firsters concoct ” Made in Iran”
“So no, Iraqi paramilitaries did not all of a sudden, and out of the blue, started targeting Americans in Iraq because they are such obedient Iranian proxies, and on the behalf of Tehran, but because they were being killed in their own country (and in neighboring Syria) and the US was to blame.
There have been well over 50 Iraqi paramilitary fatalities in Iraq alone, before the first American died in a retaliatory attack. The blame here is not on Iran, the blame is on those who decided to pull Netanyahu’s chestnuts out of the fire even if it risked US troops in the region.”
Marko Marjanović
https://www.checkpointasia.net/americas-new-war-lets-not-pretend-that-iraqi-paramilitaries-drew-first-blood/
Our embassy in Iraq? Or ‘Fort Baghdad” experiences minor unrest with native population?
Even if we have the best of intentions will we always be viewed as the conquering nation?
It is my understanding, from press reports, that F-15E’s, likely flying from the Al Dhafra base in the UAE, were involved in the air strikes. In any case, 30 minutes warning means that all aircraft involved in the strikes were were into Iraqi airspace already.
Willy B, I read they were armed drone strikes, but either way, I’m sure the attacking aircraft were on station or nearby before the Iraqi government was warned of the impending strikes.
The tragicomic part is watching Trump supports act as if Trump didn’t order and approve the strikes.
Unfortunately, treating Israel as a sacred cow and any criticism as ipso facto anti-Semitism is breeding lots of genuine anti-Semites where there were none previously.
Pompeo wants an pretext for a war on Iran. That much is obvious.
If that war comes as a result of a series of tit-for-tat retaliations, well, then he and Bibi and MBS get the war that they so crave.
Elora
If you are going to send me private messages, do not do it on the blog as comments.
Vig,
“Obama was worried…” Etc, etc. “Iraq is close to collapse …”
Obama got played; or was just blowing smoke up our butts, I’m not sure which. Trump is getting the same “advice” from ‘experts’ who know so much that just ain’t so. Iraq’s close to collapse? Sucks to be them. Bush and the Borg got just what they wanted, a victory that overturned the social order in the country, now there’s chaos for years to come. At least our sacred best ally in the Middle East doesn’t have to worry about the Iraqi army. As W said so long ago “mission accomplished”.
Trump needs to put America First. That means lots of Foreign policy experts can go sell their expertise elsewhere – especially when he abolishes their jobs; and a bunch of flag billets need to be abolished. Hasn’t he noticed that we’ve got more admirals that ships?
I ultimately tried this ploy: I only have XX to spend, make me fall in love with a rug for that amount. If I loved it, it was worth what ever it cost. If I did not love it, it would always cost too much. Agree with your own experience. Thus saith the animal spirits of the marketplace.
Elora:
I thought the purpose of the Colonel’s Committee of Correspondence was to exchange ideas, not insults. Why would you smear me as a neocon, I detest Pompón and all his neocon, Israel-first buddies? Why use los insultos if you want a dialogue? You apparently missed the first paragraph of my earlier comment where I stated: ”We never should have gone into Iraq in the first place.” And you missed the last paragraph where I stated that our response to the KH attack was a mistake.
I do agree with your great question regarding the Khmeimim Russian Air Base Grad rocket attack on New Year´s Eve by pro-Turkish militias. If they could stop it with the Pantsir, then why couldn’t the K1 base in Iraq stop the rocket attack by Kata’ib Hezbollah? Russian air defense systems (and Soviet ones before that) have always ranked world class. We should have done better. But out of the 30 rockets targeted at K1 that day, it appears that only one or two were effective. Did the other 28 or 29 get destroyed before impact? It will be good to get more details.
I also agree with you about Turkish participation in oil smuggling. There are credible reports that state Erdogan’s son-in-law was the guy profiting off of contraband Syrian oil that he bought from ISIS terrorists back when they controlled NE Syria. It is undoubtedly still going on now but probably on a much smaller scale. The clan in Raqqa that did the earlier smuggling is apparently still in business.
10 or 12 Spanish Nationals were KIA in Iraq early on, 2003/2004 timeframe. And there are still 400 to 500 Spanish troops in Iraq as part of the Global Coalition. I hope they and all US troops return home soon, safe and without injury. It is long past time to leave Iraq to the Iraqis.
As for Pompón, I would not put it past him to bomb Kata’ib Hezbollah to do Netanyahu’s dirty work for him, and use the excuse of the rocket attack on K1. But Esper is the Secretary of Defense and I do not believe he would go along with that. And neither would the Joint Chiefs, or the CENTCOM Commander, or the General commanding CJTF-OIR, or the AF General commanding air assets within CJTF-OIR. There are too many people involved to hide such a conspiracy. You need to give up on Opriska’s ramblings.
Most basically, just that we have reached the maximum extent of the US Empire and the Middle East and Near East engagements show that while we can win military victories we don’t have any clear idea what winning looks like. Perhaps it is incorporation into US economic/Corporate business flows.
Iraq is a good example. They aren’t exactly brimming with enthusiasm for the US for freeing them from Hussein. Libya – another mess.
We would win a military battle with Iran in the short term but at a cost that could more quickly bring about the multi-polar world.
As for the analogy, the germanic tribes learned quite a bit through service/trade/warfare with Rome which ultimately worked against the Romans.
Iran would be a stretch too far.
Some pictures of USA embassy in Baghdad that I have not seen elsewhere, very interesting, BUT, one picture shows a V-22 Osprey and the caption says it is an Apache AH-64. (Notice to warriors, please correct me if I am wrong on that.) Also, article is in Spanish.
https://www.hispantv.com/noticias/irak/445803/fotos-embajada-eeuu-protestas-fuerzas-populares
Oldman22, The Apaches flew over the Embassy the first night firing off flares, probably for illumination. Additional Marines were brought in from Kuwait by Ospreys. I think 100 or so came in that first night.
ABC news reported a rocket attack on the Baghdad airport, civilian injuries. The
report included threats made by Iran to continue to attack U.S. interests.
Please excuse the following statement as sometimes it’s near impossible for me to hold back my astrological observations: transiting Saturn & Pluto moving in close conjunction @ 23 degrees of Capricorn for the remainder of January & into the first
2 weeks of February don’t bode well for peaceful resolution in the near term IMHO,
at the least long term grudge holding. This conjunction is exact on January 12th.
TTG
Check what is happening in Baghdad
Suleimani has been killed
Ok, and now they killed Qasem Soleimani and Muhandis (pretty much military leader of the PMU). Current US leadership (in both parties) is batshit crazy, and it’s sad that the rest of the country, specially the US armed forces, will have to pay the heavy price…
Colonel,
They assassinated General Soleimani…
BAGHDAD — Iranian official news media confirmed that a powerful commander of its Revolutionary Guards Corps, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, was killed in a strike on the Baghdad International Airport early Friday.
There Will Be Blood
“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed that Qasem Soleimani, Commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, was killed in Baghdad.”
Irgc spokesman Claimed he was killed while by US rotary helicopters while in a convoy on Baghdad airport road. Also killed was Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Hashd al-Shaabi, and high in the Iraqi Government, supposedly he was to be the next, he reportedly was a dual national Iranian and Iraqi. Several other senior members of Hashd al-Shaabi were killed.
Trump goes neocon. Another idiot Zionist war in the offing, blood in torrents. World economy ruined? Maybe. Trump’s reelection? Questionable…
Overt Iranian retaliation is exactly what the neocon Deep State desire.
In my completely non-expert view at best there will be a token response which will be treated quietly by the US. In fact, Khamanei may actually welcome this potential political adversary taken out in this manner, as he can rail about the evil Americans to rally his waning support. The fallout would likely be in Iraqi politics.
https://twitter.com/helenkennedy/status/1212926363847577600?s=21
oh f*ck was my reaction.
Unlike bombing some militia, this is big.
Can Iran not respond to this?
Pompom and the neocons have got to his brain. Those neocons remind me of the scifi extraterrestial life forms in Jack Finney’s 1954 novel: ‘The Body Snatchers’. Wonder if they’ve got a pod attached at the top of his spine.
It is my understanding that the US drone strike on Abukamal,hundreds of kms removed from Kirkuk just happened to be at the only border crossing between Iraq and Syria that is controlled by PMU and not by the US… the PMU forces are the only military actually fighting and destroying IS terrorist networks…therefore the murder of these PMU once again exposes how the US and proxy forces continue to assist IS. Would be interesting know the name of the “contractor” company.
“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed that Qasem Soleimani, Commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, was killed in Baghdad. Also killed was Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Hashd al-Shaabi.”
Trump killing these two was about the stupidest thing he could have possibly done. It was an act of war against both Iran and Iraq. The US is going to be thrown out of Iraq very, very soon as a result. US bases in Syria will not be able to be supplied via Iraq and will also need to be abandoned. There is no telling what Iran will do. Hopefully, a full shooting war won’t break out in the Middle East. Having Trump in charge of anything important, never mind our government during an actual crisis, never mind a war, is frightening.
Trump needs to put America First.
Not sure what to say. Ironically, top-of-headwise: Maybe he starts with solid numbers as to what the world owes the US to make America Great Again … e.g. Considering his use of frozen Iran money/assets. Understand what I mean? That might be helpful to start with.
Otherwise by now it’s “Keep America Great”.
I agree Pompeo want war with Iran, although frankly I can’t figure out why, because the U.S. might destroy Iran, but they’ll never be able to occupy it. Anyway, the thought popped up in my mind, maybe they think this is a way for them to actually pull American troops out of Syria. If American troops are forced (again) to withdraw from Iraq, there is no way the troops in Syria can be supplied. They will have to be withdrawn, too. I am not persuaded Trump or Pompeo are as stupid as they act.
Our embassy in Baghdad is a relic from a HRC plan to build Crusader Castles across Iraq. The State Department plan was to build a fortress embassy in Baghdad & fortress consulates in major Iraq cities. As US forces pulled out, these fortresses would be defended by 6000-7000 contract security personnel.
CH-46 helos being retired by the Marine Corps were transferred to the State Department & flown by contract crews (Dyn Corps) to provide logistics between the Crusader Castles.
You can’t make this madness up.