Iraq’s most senior religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani,
rarely interjects himself into politics. US officials have long tried to
stay on Sistani’s good side anyhow, fearing that his opposition could
up-end the entire military presence there.
President Trump’s talk of keeping a base in Iraq going forward to “watch Iran” seems to have pushed his buttons, however, with Sistani criticizing that, saying that Iraq should maintain “good and balanced relations” with all of its neighbors.
Sistani’s position appears in-line with most of the political leaders within Iraq, who have already rejected Trump’s comments, saying that Iraq is not going to be used as a staging area against any neighbors.
Pentagon officials don’t seem to be on board with this idea either.
Since Trump’s comments, they have said no such orders have been issued,
and the US military presence in Iraq right now has nothing to do with
watching Iran.
Al-Sistani’s protests are probably honest enough.
The Pentagon is probably upset with Trump telling the world what they are obviously doing in Iraq even as they need to publicly justify their ongoing presence there, somehow.
“the US military presence in Iraq right now has nothing to do with watching Iran”
The Pentagon said that? The French had a phrase for that in Napoleon’s time, “to lie like a Bulletin.” Some things don’t change.
Don’t you know that the Pentagon (just like its younger brother NATO) is a humanitarian organization dedicated to peace, democracy, freedom and all that sorts of things?
Well…all the Grand Ayatollah has to do is drop a line to Gen. Soleimani, so I think he means it when he says no.