In an interview on Friday, US Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel said there was no reason to believe the US military’s relationship with Iraq would be impacted by last weekend’s election. He said the Iraqi military remains “very apolitical” and the US is a “good partner” for them.
Since the 2003 US invasion and occupation, the US has made a point of aligning itself with the governing party in the country. This may be trickier after this new election, which saw cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s bloc win a substantial victory.
Sadr has been vilified by the US for years and has also expressed opposition to Iraq being in the pocket or anyone, including the US and Iran. He has also often called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq, seeing them as a destabilizing influence.
It remains an open question, then, whether the Pentagon’s open-ended deployment to Iraq can survive a Sadr government. While there may be near-term support for a US training mission, Sadr hardly seems the type to support a permanent foreign presence, or to give the US the sort of blank check Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to facilitate that.
It wouldn’t matter who was elected. If we don’t want to leave somewhere, we don’t leave. But Iraq wouldn’t have a military if our taxpayers weren’t footing the bill so it doesn’t matter indeed who won.
More daydreaming. These elections tell me that a significant fraction of Iraq’s people are sick and tired not only with their venal government but with the US occupation. Moqtada has never been friendly to our military presence in Iraq. Or the humongous spy-nest of our embassy in Bagdad
If Iraqis can’t get rid of the US occupation through the ballot box, they’ll eventually get back to freeing their country by force of arms. Sadr will be at the forefront of both approaches.
re: the Pentagon’s open-ended deployment to Iraq
The combined joint forces command responsible for land operations in Iraq was deactivated in April. Currently about 4,000 U.S. troops are training the Iraqi military, according to reports. The US has been training Iraqi troops for fifteen years now and they are still incapable of training their own troops. /s
That’s what happens when we go around the world “spreading democracy.” People get elected that the US government doesn’t want. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Iraqi democracy brings about an end to our military involvement in Iraq.
Who cares about voting-it is always “régimes” in any country but the USA, and they have no right to decide to evict foreign influences who only want to “help democracy”!!
Sadr’s election will not be a problem for the US. If he starts being non-compliant with Washington’s wishes, Washington’s regime change process will start up again to deal with him. What these small upstart governments have to understand is that to stay in power, you do not make Washington angry.
Ah isn’t that nice a good partner for Iraq after they have destroyed the country and slaughtered them at the sametime. Such insanity.