During a Sunday interview with CBS, President Trump insisted that the US
has an “incredible base” in Iraq after years of wars, and “might as well keep it.” He suggested there troops would be staying more or less forever.
His justification for this, beyond “might as well,” was that it’s right
next to Iran. Trump claimed Iran is the cause of “every single” major
difficulty in the Middle East, and keeping US troops in Iraq would allow
them to “watch” Iran.
“We’re going to keep watching and if there’s trouble, if somebody is
looking to do nuclear weapons or other things, we’re going to know it
before they do,” Trump insisted. It’s not clear how that would work,
particularly with respect to knowing “before they do.”
Trump went on to say he has no intention to use US troops in Iraq to
strike Iran, and that “all I want to do is be able to watch.” The US
has, of course, threatened to attack Iran several times, but Iraq has
ruled out letting the US use their territory to do so.
“we’re going to know it before they do”
Like claiming presence of active research programs they, as well as the NIE, don’t even know they had? All what’s measured is agency rivalry and the flourishing market for dodgy unvetted intelligence. Empires navel gaze.
“we’re going to know it before they do”
Like claiming presence of active research programs they, as well as the NIE, don’t even know they had? All what’s measured is agency rivalry and the flourishing market for dodgy unvetted intelligence. Empires navel gaze.
“the US has an “incredible base” in Iraq after years of wars, and “might as well keep it.” ”
That was the original neocon thinking. He’s hearing that from people like Bolton. It is the “real men go to Tehran” thinking, with Iraq as the jump off point rather than the goal.
That was billions of dollars if I remember correctly. And you’re absolutely right, it was built as an excuse to never leave.
I seem to remember Ron Paul talking about that “incredible base” in Iraq that is larger than the Vatican.
Actually that was the huge US embassy in Baghdad. Billions flushed down that hole.
Ron Paul also exposed the transfer by C 47 Cargo planes
loaded with pallets of cash when grilling Greenspan. Greenspan denied it and mocked Paul. Later, documents and photos proved Paul was correct and Greenspan was either lying or not in the loop.
Hey, what’s a few billion dollars anyway? The Pentagon is misxing in excess of a Trillion.
Someone embezzled a couple of million dollars and it’s news. The Pentagon/CIA has Trillions missing and….. NOTHING happens.
Thanks for correcting me. Yes, what’s a few billion dollars anyway when you are $22 Trillion in debt and can barely pay the interest. Our debt is our worst enemy, worse than any other country on the face of the earth.
The US grabbed 104 acres of the best real estate in Baghdad and built a wall……emm, correction, the green zone is 4 square miles, with wall..
Gotta keep the riff raff out after all. Only way to build that “model” American “democracy” ya know.
Gatta build big. Impress the rubes with grandeur. For their own good ya know.
Hey, gotta even better investment than oil! …… Cemetery land and gravestones.
Heh, the locals let them know how impressed they were of the wall by lobbing 120mm mortars over it.
I think that was our embassy.
Of course it never occurs Trump, and various shades of warmongers, that being surrounded by hostile US bases, fleets of ships and bellicose US “allies” might be an incentive to developing nukes?
Then there is the inconvenient truth of multiple US incursions into Iranian internal affairs. Military assaults on Iran’s neighbors, US training and support of radical Sunni terrorist groups…. Oh yeah, sanctions that impoverish Iran’s population and cut off vital medicine and medical supplies. Then sending 100’s of billions of dollars of hi tech weapons to Iran’s enemies.
It’s typical twisted logic to give lots of reasons to develop nukes then claim that the US must stick around and continue to provide additional reasons.
That “play-dumb” mentality way pre-dates Trump, only coincidental that it’s the same exact way he operates. Pretend you’re too stupid to see the inevitable consequences of your actions and play patriotic and dumb if called on it.
Who needs a nuke deal? We just need an “incredible base” in Iraq to make sure Iran doesn’t “do nukes”. Sounds like Sarah Palin keeping an eye on Russia from Alaska.
You know, if we opened relations with Iran, we wouldn’t need a base in Iraq or anywhere else to “keep an eye on them” we could just watch em on TV when we want to.
We could even have a treaty and involve other countries and the UN, and call it the JCPOA. That would be a breakthrough .
I really can’t wait to watch all the Trump Derangement Peace Train eat crow as we pick up our toys in Afgahnistan and Syria only to engage Iran and establish yet another right wing militarist in South America. Drain the Swamp, MAGA!!
You have to look at it with that logic that leaving troops in country is the same as leaving the country. Moving them from one base to another is peace. And coups are just minor differences of opinion among friendly nations looking our for democracy.
Mr Saleh noted that under 2008 US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement,
Washington had agreed not to use Iraq “as a launching or transit point
for attacks against other countries.
The US has no word to be trusted, no matter who the President is, Trump is an extension of PNAC 2.0
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47118889