Ending the mystery surrounding a series of explosions in Iraq which were
deemed unlikely to be coincidental, US officials are now confirming that these attacks were the result of Israeli airstrikes against them.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already basically
confirmed this, and now with the US adding to it,the questions become a
lot more serious for Iraq, as far as what they are to do next.
The choices aren’t easy. Iraq has a marginal air defense system, so
unlike Iran or Syria they have little chance of shooting down an
attacking plane. Likewise, the Israeli planes are very similar to US
planes already flying with impunity in Iraqi airspace, making positive
identification harder.
The lack of clarity about whose planes are blowing what up in Iraq
likely fueled calls from Iraq for the US to limit their operations in
the country to those under control of Iraqi security forces. The US
initially accepted this, but then later insisted that many of their
missions wouldn’t apply.
Iraqi militias, which are the target of the Israelis, have since taken a few shots at spy aircraft near Baghdad, but their anti-aircraft guns probably aren’t really a match for multi-role combat aircraft.
Israel is spinning the militias as Iranian proxies, something the US has
done in the past as well. For Iraq, however, the excuse really doesn’t
matter, the problem is that once again regional and global powers are
looking to use Iraq as a battleground.
US Confirms Israel Behind Recent Attacks in Iraq
Strikes raise concerns about Iraq becoming other countries' battleground
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