President Trump’s surprise visit to Iraq has brought the issue of a
continued, long-term US military presence in the country back into
focus, and Iraqi MPs have rallied in an unusual show of unity against
the US troops.
MPs from both ruling and opposition blocs in parliament are united in calls for an extraordinary session to debate the matter, saying that the question of US violations of Iraqi sovereignty must be answered.
While a lot of the immediate backlash seems to be related to Trump
cancelling his visit with the Iraqi PM over a disagreement on location,
the ruling bloc and its leader Moqtada al-Sadr have long spoken out
about the need for Iraq to get out from under the domination of foreign
powers and seek a more independent future.
Qais Khazali, the head of the power Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, expressed confidence that parliament would vote to expel US forces from Iraq. Failing that, he warned, the militias would force them out “by other means.”
Come home America now! End all foreign adventures now!
Well, well … Iraq too? Out of Syria AND Iraq is almost too good to believe. Much as I despise the current prez, Would this have have happened under HRC?
Probably. Those troops would have been withdrawn to fight in the prelude to WW 3 war with Russia.
The problem is, the financial scammery that was with mankind for a long, long time — had always relied on lending money to states, and when the party was over, there were wars, with losers being forced to pay off everybody’s loans in war reparations deals.
Germany just few years ago paid off its WWI war reparations.
The problem today — not enough big wars, not enough control over population of conquered countries, not enough big, rich countries to make repay the rising pile of debt in all Western countries, and those sharing. Western system of financial management, like Japan.
While Russia has the riches, the prospect of conquering it militarily is non-existent. The prospect of economic blockade, i.e. sanctions, resulted only in optimization of complementary economies between Russia and China. And slowly but surely, expanding Central Asian, Iranian, Turkish and Pakistani, etc., increasingly integrated trade/jnvestment.
Then what? Withouth presence of credible threat, why would countries like Iraq keep low?
Why are Arab countries in a rush to make nice with Assad? And this did not happen AFTER Trump announcement of withdrawal. But started before. Symbology is powerfull thing. Back in September, Bahrain minister of foreign affairs very publicly embraced his counterpart from Syri in UN. Mind you — Bahrain would do nothing without Saudi approval, as Saudi military is helping Sunni rulers kept under martial law Bahrein’s 80% Shia majority. In Iraq, political map has stabilized. In Lebanon, no possibilities of Shia, Sunni, Christian conflict. Syrian religious leadership never crumbled, stayed loyal to Assad. Bahrain is trying to get their rift mended. And Kuweit is courting its 40% Shia populace by a major media lionizing of Assad. UAE just reopened embassy in Damascus. So, who will risk Shia-Shnni split AGAIN by ratcheting up Iran war drums? Knowing full well that it would be a non-starter with Russia.
You are making an assumption that people are rational. The worst in that regard are the people who run the USA.
Trump visited Iraq. He made no mention whatsoever of withdrawing any troops. This article clearly states that the Iraqis want us to leave, and they used the occasion of Trump’s visit to tell us to get our troops out of their country.
As far as Syria, I agree with you that under HRC, it’s doubtful that we’d pull any troops out, but Trump needs to start handling things in a responsible manner and not letting his staff find out his directives and/or actions via 140 character ‘tweet’ (I long for a twitter-less world.)
The thing is, though, is Trump doing it because he feels it’s wrong to be there? Or is it more about undoing everything Obama did? How will Trump feel about this subject next week? No one knows!
Whoever was elected in 2016 was going to find the bottle empty, and the party over.
An early attack on Iran was Hillary’s clear intent, growing out of expansion of the Syria War. Once started, wars are much harder to stop.
Al-Sadr taught the Yanks how to belly crawl during the Bush years, he’ll do it again. God, I missed that wily son of a bitch. The Ho Chi Minh of the desert!
Can Putin, and all the air/ground security units just fly into the US when they please ? Looks like those marines in Syria are gonna have to fly quite a bit further out, to get out. Seems the US is going to bring unity of purpose to the Middle East….chasing the US the hell out.
Someone should inform the Iraqis that these illegals crossing their borders are criminals, rapists and murderers…maybe a wall would help.
Since the Iraq Salvador Option ran its course and culminated in spectacular failure (today’s vote being just one more indicator of that), what would the re-re-Invading forces have to fall back on when Al-Sadr and Soleimani bring the pain?
The rich got much richer. Much, much richer.
It has been a resounding success.
About time. Obama brought them out, exactly as Dubya promised in writing, until he didn’t. We were lied to. Again.
How will Texas get oil out of Iraq without troops there? The next thing you know the Iraqi’s will be selling oil to N Korea.