Newly enshrined Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadimi seems to be looking to underscore his portrayal as a pro-US candidate, ordering a raid in Basra against a Shi’ite militia group that the US has been trying to portray as “Iran-backed.”
Officials are reporting at least five members of Ther Allah organization were arrested, on charges of firing at protesters who were congregating outside. This sort of crackdown on protesters was the order of the day before Kadimi took office.
This raid both benefits him in allowing him to present his administration to the protest movement as a break from the status quo, and also to try to keep the US happy that he’s a bit more hostile toward Iran than previous candidates.
On the other hand, Kadimi only got the position as part of a US-Iran deal, and if he makes too much of hostility toward the militias, he may lose support from important political Shi’ites.
He has got the Iranian Tiger by the tail. Now he dare not let go as it will swollow him. Good luck with trying to placate the US – when you are in trouble they will not come to your aid.
This is an act. Few insignificant troublemakers are arrested, showing thereby some understanding for protesters, and a face saving device for US. What remains to be seen is just how committed is US to staying in Iraq.
The new PM can only be effective if the country is not in turmoil.
This is why is very curious that suddenly some ISIS is found to raise a lite domestic hell — ISIS is never anti-US. Somebody is paying some militants holed up on an abandoned farm. Shia would not give him trouble, as he was instrumental in getting intelligence right in Iraq following a disastrous start of ISIS campaign. The key will be to watch who will needle him the moment he displeases Pompeo.
Doesn’t the fact that today the nation of Iraq is a free, sovereign nation, based upon democracy, bring tears of joy? Ha ha ha.
Don’t you just love Zionism!!!
America has finally gathered enough lunch money from the neighbor children to buy a new Saddam. I’m sure this one will end just as gracefully as the last.
Somehow I doubt he will do much to please US. He cannot. At this point, just about everybody is unhappy with US — Kurds, Sunni clans, Shia clans and religious leadership. Who can do our bidding? Some ISIS mercenaries hiding in some abandoned farms, or ready to perform sabotage from a hideout in city warehouses. There are always protesters, but that is a spent force. After Soleimani assassination, only those on payroll will demonstrate, but masses may be hard to motivate again. Not impossible, but hard.
Ther Allah was probably late with some official bribes…
Yes, there is probably a back story that explains this a lot more than we’ve heard so far, and it won’t be a pro-US anti-Iran story.