Since October 17, US troops based in Iraq and Syria have come under steady rocket and drone fire. At least 73 attacks have been carried out on US bases in the two countries, but they have stopped since the truce between Israel and Hamas to facilitate the hostage deal came into effect on Friday.
According to Reuters, some of Iraq’s leading Shia militias behind some of the attacks on US forces, including Kataib Hezbollah, have said they would abide by the ceasefire. But the militias have signaled their attacks could resume once Israel restarts its operations in Gaza.
The Iraqi government has condemned both the attacks on US troops and recent US airstrikes in Iraq that Kataib Hezbollah said killed ten of its fighters. The Iraqi government is warning that without a durable ceasefire in Gaza, the war will likely expand into a regional conflict.
“The entire region is on the verge of a devastating conflict that may include everyone, and the extent of its expansion or how to control and stop it is not known,” Farhad Alaadin, a foreign affairs advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
“For this reason, we see any ceasefire in the conflict as beneficial and important at this stage for the people of Palestine and Gaza first and for all countries in the region, including Iraq,” Alaadin added.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the truce for another two days into Tuesday and Wednesday, but Israeli officials are warning their operations will be even bigger than before once they resume.
https://www.indianpunchline.com/the-middle-east-at-an-inflection-point/
The Middle East At An Inflection Point
Authored by MK Bhadrakumar.
Really? And what about the 2 missiles launched by Houthis at an American warship?
A warning shot.
America should be fair game for the Houthis regardless of the war in Gaza.
You’d be pleased to see American servicemen killed by Houthis wouldn’t you?
Were you pleased when Houthis were being slaughtered by Saudi Arabia, with U.S. assistance? There is no war we will not exacerbate, assist in killing innocents. It is what we do.
Hard to keep up with all these proxy wars, huh.
Actually I was talking about blowback. You know, when you enable the starvation of hundreds of thousands, mostly women and children, to starve to death. Like a lesser version of what the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians. But I bet those deaths don’t bother you.
WERE they launched “at” an american warship? They splashed down over 10 miles away; hardly a “close call”. For all we know, it was a meteor. Not nearly as “threatening” as the Iranian airliner we shot down while traveling in a civilian air corridor minding its own business.
What about the assistance America gave Saudi Arabia which is was laying waste Yemen?
At least 73 rocket and drone attacks have been carried out on US bases in Iraq and Syria since Oct 17
in 2022 there were 844 US soldier deaths total.
0 were caused by hostile action.
333 were “self inflicted”.
yankee go home
Every 22 minutes, an American serviceman commits suicide.
Lets do the math. There are 365.24 days in a year. 24 hours in day. Thus there are 8765.76 hours in a year. Each hour has 60 minutes so there are 525,945.6 minutes in a year. Divide that by 22 minutes you get 23,906.6. Let’s round it to 23,900. You still think a serviceman commits suicide every 22 minutes?
The Iraqi government has condemned both the attacks on US troops and recent US airstrikes in Iraq
C’mon Iraq, pick a side already!
Iraq does not want U.S. troops in Iraq for many reasons, the least of which it tends to draw into Iraq elements that cause problems.
Can’t think of a worse element or a bigger problem than the U.S. troops themselves.
Well, obviously they’re watching, the way we watch infantiles make up and stop trying to pull one another’s hair out.
I personally don’t see the value of keeping US troops in those two nations. At the same time, I have no problem with US responding with full force at anyone attacking them.
I see you question the value of the US presence as the main issue and not the fact that neither country wants us there. That eliminates any reason to question them “defending” themselves from attacks in countries where they are not welcomed.
You don’t but the Israelis see the value of having someone else do their dirty work at no cost to themselves.
Iraq is weak to kick yanks out of Iraq, and they are also weak to prevent Iraq resistance militia from attacking US troops…! US is in a dead-end condition…!
Yes, Iraq is very “weak”, by design, exactly the way we want them to be. We’ll do the same to Syria if we get the chance. It’s only the presence of the Russians and Syria’s Shia allies that stops it from happening, although Syria’s population is suffering terribly, thanks to us.
Remember that time Iraqi parliament told U.S. to leave and U.S. just gave them the bird?
After every war, we stay.