In addition to bankrupting Iraq by seizing the entirety of their oil revenue account, the Trump Administration is now also threatening to cut military aid to Iraq, if the Iraqi government formally asks the US to leave.
The US State Department and Pentagon have discussed the matter, with the State Department working on cutting all $250 million from the 2020 military aid budget already approved, and asking the budget office to cut $100 million from the 2021 request.
While US officials insist they have no intention of leaving Iraq, the continued threats to punish Iraq with sanctions and cuts suggest that they are taking seriously the possibility that Iraq will actually order them out, and that the US may not be able to just ignore it.
While $250 million in aid is substantial, it is likely well down Iraq’s priority list with the oil revenue account containing 90% of Iraq’s annual budget. Iraqi officials haven’t indicated what their intentions are since the threats began, but parliament already voted 170-0 to expel all foreign troops, US included, as soon as possible.
That can be legally done. Threatening Iraq with freezing is assets in response to Iraq’s demand that our armed forces leave what is called a sovereign country in our agreement of Friendship and Cooperation is illegal.
GTFO you stinkin’ terrorists… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2f02c8fb1a2b6fb090502b2b9bbbddbf5c3c927ea1d766debed95cf204fac189.jpg
“if” ?
Again, I’m having trouble understanding how this works. Why is that money still in that NY Fed account, ie under US control? Why was it not transferred into a Chinese or UAE or Russian account yesterday?
And the threat to cut the military aid … why even call it a threat? It would be a blessing. “Yo Mike, yo Donald, get the hell out!” “Hey Vladimir, we here in Iraq need a new patron, one that doesn’t think they can bomb us, steal our country’s money and sanction us whenever they get in a snit.”
You’ve got a valid point here. Why wasn’t that money transferred into a Chinese, UAE, or Russian account?
And the threat to cut all military aid .. why even call it a threat? It would definitely be a blessing. “Yo, Mike, yo, Donald, get the hell out! Hey, Vladimir, we’re here in Iraq need a new patron, one that doesn’t think they can bomb us, steal our country’s money and sanction us whenever they get in a mess.”
I couldn’t agree more, yomama, you hit the nail squarely on the head,
After the “liberation” in 2003, U.S. set up an impound account for the new Iraqi government because the country’s credit rating was shut to hell. So U.S. has every right to impound and freeze that account. What’s troubling is how Iraqis don’t own any of their oil.
Read up about the NY Fed. (eg in Wall Street on Parade, a daily email.) It gives HUGE piles of dollars to the big Wall Street banks and is not under the control of anyone; Don’t try to take money out if you are not a rich, powerful American banker like Jamie Dimon.
“In addition to bankrupting Iraq by seizing the entirety of their oil revenue account”?!
That’s the real story. If the “Iraqi government” doesn’t possess its oil revenues, it never really existed at all.
Please tell me what the “military aid” is used for ? Who is the supposed enemy?
Well I guess Russia and China are only too happy to fill the gap. But I don’t think the US will allow this to happen. Iraq will then consequently be an occupied state.