The Iraqi parliament has voted to direct the government to expel all foreign troops — meaning U.S. troops, of course. The prime minister is expected to sign it. As I understand it, this directive would not expel troops immediately but would work out a timeline for troops to leave.
Along with alarm over the death of General Soleimani, the Iraqis are understandably peeved that this military action was carried out in their country with no notice whatsoever.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry filed a complaint via two letters to the President of the UN Security Council and UN Secretary General about the “American attacks and assaults against Iraqi military locations,” according to a Foreign Ministry Statement.
The complaint was also about the death of Al-Muhandis, the militia leader, and others on Iraqi soil.
“These attacks represent a serious violation of Iraqi sovereignty and the conditions of the presence of the American forces in Iraq,” the statement read, adding, “Iraq called on the Security Council to condemn the bombing and assassinations.”
This is not unreasonable.
SecState Pompeo said that the Iraqi people are fine with whatever the U.S. does, because we are their liberators, or something.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday dismissed calls by Iraq’s caretaker prime minister for a timetable for all foreign troops to exit the country, in the wake of a U.S. strike that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, arguing that the Iraqi people want the United States to remain and continue the fight against terrorism.
Pompeo also blames the entire current situation on President Obama. Obama should have taken out Soleimani! Except that most of the deaths of U.S. troops attributed to Soleimani happened during George W. Bush’s watch, and he didn’t take out Soleimani either.
In fact, conscious decisions were taken under the George W. Bush administration, even when Soleimani was in the crosshairs, not to pull the trigger. Gen. Stanley McChrystal wrote last year, he had a shot in 2007 but let Soleimani go: “The decision not to act is often the hardest one to make—and it isn’t always right.”
But, um, sometimes the decision not to act is right. Notice that most of the people lining up to praise Trump’s actions are the same geniuses who thought invading Iraq in 2003 was a great idea. They don’t learn.
President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Iran that a strike on “any Americans” or “American assets” in retaliation for the killing of its top general would result in the US targeting 52 sites — including “Iranian culture” sites.
But deliberately targeting cultural sites or cultural heritage sites could amount to a war crime.
Even better, now Iran is saying it is suspending all commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal. So much winning.
I have to agree with the comic at the end of the post. Iran has to respond and they will. Iraq will strike whatever targets they can reach however they can reach them. Trump will escalate with drone strikes and claim it's a peace overture.
This isn't a good time to travel abroad.
The president of victimhood is hoping to sway voters. The democrats will not support a military escalation in the mid-east. They were badly burned by trusting Bush and authorizing a totally stupid war on fraudulent claims. SO Trump is charging opposite poles. IF Iran commits effective retaliation against the US troops Trump is sending with targets on their backs, Trump will rally on that. If Iran murders a few civilians overseas, Trump will build his campaign on that.
Potentially good news is that Trump ran on doing exactly the opposite of what he's doing. Democrats could run on a peace plan and avoiding the war Trump is provoking. I'm nauseated by the evil of this ploy. Trump has no idea who the victims will be and he's deliberately creating a 'Pearl Harbor' attack solely to save his fat arse.
AOC correctly calls it: Trump is a monster.
Iran says it will go after military targets, not civilian. Also, if this mastermind (and all masterminds are replaceable) should have been taken out long ago, why did Trump avoid doing so for his first three years and make his move less than a month after he was impeached?
The Saudis are cynics, the Israelis are warriors, neither liked Suleimani, and they could have shot him years ago; but they did not. Trump should have asked them why not.
He also should have asked Congress. I miss Article 1, Section 8. I want it back.
Also, under Bush W and Obama "we" could have taken him out, but never did, because strategically any resulting gains weren't worth the costs, being the increased risk to security of Americans and American interests everywhere. Take Suleimani out, they put someone else in his place. The idea that there is no longer a threat of some action by Iran because one man is dead is ludicrous.
The only discernable gain from this is political — Trump's base will eat it up, and it may provide some innoculation against impeachment.
A little off topic, but I feel compelled to make my observations known.
I saw the celibate on Fox News expounding on Trump's genius while tooting his own horn about how he has 33 years of experience as a military lawyer so he knows better than anybody the wisdom of Trump's decision to assassinate Suliemani. It wasn't so much what the celibate said that caused me to take note and question the mutual admiration that's become so apparent between them.
What stuck me was the fact that the celibate's hairdo wasn't slicked down and parted in his usual school days photograph style. It appeared to have more pomp and flair then has ever been displayed before to my memory and it gave a hint that perhaps either subconsciously or purposely someone is attempting to fashion their doo in a complementary styling to the Donald.
It's not uncommon to pick-up and emulate characteristic traits and qualities of people you admire or copy mannerisms, dress, and even hair styles that you see works well for other people that one might believe would work just well for themselves. I could be seeing something that's not there, but when you see that somebody with an extreme fondness for Trump is putting on a paunch, styling their coif, and talking stupid out their ass like Trump it kinda makes you wonder what you're seeing.
Which celibate?
I assume this is Graham we're talking about here? if so, doesn't surprise that he'd go so far as to imitate his idol, consciously or otherwise.
csm…Your assumption is correct…What gave it away?
It does not take long after sowing the wind to begin reaping the massive whirlwinds. Hosea, great prophet that he was left this detail out, or some scribe did some editing. Who is to say at this point in time.
Swami notes Fox propaganda artists at work spreading the gospel of Trump. He also notes style imitations, which reek of Freudian identification with the aggressor. Now all male Fox reality benders need to look like the master to avoid anxiety. I never could figure out Trump's long tie, but one could try to weave that symbol into a bit of castration anxiety from his youth. I will still go with the idea that Freudian Theory works better in the world of literature than in psychology, The disciplines do have considerable overlap of course with many shades of grey.
A frequent commenter to the NYT, Bruce Rozenblit, went psychological regarding the topic of Trump vs reality just a few days ago. I kind of like his notion of a mental drive toward sanity, though it seems missing in a significant minority of the U.S.population. The Hero figure idea (with the aide of a few Fox surrogates) has a data link. Almost all of Trump's "faithful" get their news and views directly from Trump the anointed. It is akin to satisfying your craving for fine visual art through a visit to a gallery of ink blots. Do they try improve their mathematical skills by memorizing a random numbers table? Bruce is always thought inducing.
So it seems to be pompous Pompeo that is backing iran into a corner and daring them to lash out. So they can bomb 52 sites. We have an airbase in qatar with 12000 stationed. I bet qatar doesn't like this.
Netanyahu and MBS like US doing their dirty work.
I really hope that Americans of all stripes can call this what it is. Another mideast war for Republican election.
Yeah, this is 'the tail wagging the stupid/ignorant/bigoted orange already-impeached elephant.'
I bet that to really mock and embarrass tRUMP, Iran will pull an attack – probably on an embassy – somewhere in the Middle East that'll make Benghazi look like a flame-broiled nothing-burger (which it sort of was, because W and Dicky Death had a much worse record in these matters than Barack & Hillary in that one instance).
And then, because Iran mocked and embarrassed him, tRUMP will escalate and do yet ANOTHER stupid thing to up the ante.
And thus, does America lose its dynasty and influence, and China and Russia look to fill the void Putin and tRUMP have been successfully working on for years.
So, CONGRATULATIONS to our oh-so "patriotic" MAGA hat-wearing MAGAts around the country! You will be held responsible by history for America's death spiral.