Opinion| Mark Sidney| What may well prove to be a pivotal moment in world history, is set to unfold Sunday in the cradle of civilization, once know as ‘The Fertile Crescent.’
As you know, the proxy war in the Middle East, between Western forces, lead by the United States of America, and against agents of influence from Iran, Russia and likely China, was kicked into high gear this week when the United States embassy in Iraq was attacked.
This put into motion a series of events which resulted in the assassination, via drone strike, of Iran’s Quds Force General Soleimani, [Abu Mahdi] al-Muhandis, and 5 other individuals.
Then, yesterday the United States launched more strikes, killing additional members of the group allegedly responsible for the attack on the US embassy in Iraq.
‘Immediate reports have identified Qais Khazali and Shibl al-Zaydi as having been killed during the strike.
U.S. sources said that Qais Khazali had been responsible for the recent attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad. Shibl was the leader of Kata’ib al-Imam Ali or the Imam Ali Battalions.’ we reported last night.
Now, apparently in response to the recent escalation and direct attacks on Iranian targets by US forces in response to the Iranian’s alleged involvement in the strike on our embassy, the Iraqi Parliament has called an an emergency session, Sunday, according to the New York Times.
The Times suggests that the session was called in order to talk about the airstrike Trump ordered, which killed Saleimani in Baghdad.
Iraq’s Speaker signaled he was determined to put an end to the US presence in the country.
BREAKING: Iraq’s Parliament vows to eliminate the US presence in #Iraq — deputy parliament speaker says they’ll hold an emergency meeting & make "decisive decisions that put an end to US presence inside Iraq"
— Gillian Turner (@GillianHTurner) January 3, 2020
The Examiner reported:
‘Iraq’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammed al Halbousi vowed to “put an end to U.S. presence” in Iraq after President Trump ordered airstrikes that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces boss Mahdi al Muhandis in Baghdad on Thursday.
“Yesterday’s targeting of a military commander in Iraq’s armed forces near Baghdad International Airport is a flagrant breach of sovereignty and violation of international agreements,” a statement from Halbousi read.
Halbousi added that Iraq “must avoid becoming a battlefield or a side in any regional or international conflict.”
We can all thank George Bush primarily for this mess in Iraq, and Barack Hussein Obama for helping to cultivate power in Iran. Between the actions of the two, the region has descended into hell on Earth.
Where there was once a secular tyrant who posed no real threat to the US homeland (in my estimation) in Saddam Hussein, a man who was an enemy of Iran, now we are facing Iraq becoming an Iranian puppet. A puppet of an Iranian regime which is possibly, secretly, already a nuclear power, or, at the very least, likely to soon become one.
So what? Well, if you believe Iran’s propaganda, they are dead set on destroying our nation.
The Iraqi government should think long and hard about what the consequences will be if they choose to ally with the Iranians against the United States.
While we never should have been in this mess in the first place, now that we are, it is time we excise the cancerous parts, sew the patient back up and bring our troops home. America is not the world’s policeman, nor can we afford to be any longer, IMHO.
