I could never fully comprehend the logic behind our modern monument to imperialistic hubris that is our outsized Embassy in Baghdad. One would have to be a true believer in our God ordained manifest destiny to admire that monstrosity. Those types do exist. At one time the management coven at Defense HUMINT planned on establishing a massive operating base in that Embassy to control operations throughout the region. It was going to be Defense HUMINT forward... an outpost of the empire.
That embassy compound is once again becoming the focal point of our Mideast empire. Events of the last few days have seen to that. Last weekend, in response to a rocket attack on a base outside Kirkuk that left one US contractor dead and four US servicemen wounded, we launched drone strikes on five Iraqi PMU outposts in Iraq and Syria near Abukamal killing 25 members and wounding scores more of the Kata’ib Hezbollah brigades of the PMU.
We blamed Iran and the Kata’ib Hezbollah for the rocket attack near Kirkuk. That may be true, but the Kata’ib Hezbollah is not some rogue militia controlled out of Teheran. It is an integral part of the PMU, its 46th and 47th brigades and has been for years. The PMU is an integral part of the Iraqi military and has been for years. The PMU played a major role in defeating IS in both Iraq and Syria. Our attack on the Kata’ib Hezbollah outposts was an attack on the Iraqi military and government. We informed PM Abdul-Mahdi of our intended attacks. Abdul-Mahadi warned us not to do it, but, of course, we conducted the attacks despite his warning. We were proud of the attacks. The Pentagon even released footage of the attacks. It was supposed to be a clear message to Teheran.
Unfortunately for us, the message was also heard by Iraqis. After the funerals of many of the victims of our attacks on the PMU outposts, a large crowd of protestors headed for the US Embassy in the Green Zone. For weeks prior to this, Iraqi security forces kept protestors from entering the Green Zone and approaching the US Embassy. Not this time. The crowds, including mourners fresh from the funerals of their family members and many PMU soldiers, unarmed but in uniform, poured into the Green Zone right to the gates of the Embassy itself. A reception area was entered and burned. Iraqi security forces of the PrimeMinister’s Counter Terrorism Command were among the protestors. I surmise that PM Abdul-Mahdi was sending his own message back to the US.
Today, the PMU has told its troops to leave the vicinity of the Embassy as directed by the PM. Protests and rock throwings continue, but the Iraqi security forces are keeping a lid on the protestors more aggressive actions. The US sent an additional hundred Marines into the Embassy compound last night and appears to be also sending a battalion from the 82nd Airborne to the Embassy. (That shows just how oversized this Embassy is.)
For weeks, it was Iranian consulates and facilities that bore the brunt of Iraqi popular unrest. Iran reacted with restraint. With our lethal attacks on the Kata’ib Hezbollah, we changed that. Pompeo, Esper and Trump are keeping up the trash talking. Threatening Iran by killing Iraqis… whose ass was that brilliant diplomatic strategy pulled from?
I recommend an essay written by Haidar Sumeri on Sunday, before the protestors descended on the US Embassy, entitled “American Strikes in Iraq Have Just Made a Bad Situation Much Worse.” Sumeri is a long time commentator on regional issues, especially Iraqi security issues. His analysis is especially cogent given the events of the last two days. His writings may be worth following as this situation unfolds.
TTG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtRSIl2MAoQ (Al Jazeera coverage of the protestors at the US Embassy with interesting commentary)
In hockey it's called "drawing a penalty" - causing the other guy to lose his cool and retaliate stupidly, getting a penalty. Whoever sent the rockets that initiated this mess (and it may have been KH but I would guess some other malicious party) got exactly what they wanted - a US over-reaction. I have a hard time believing Pompeus MAximus was first in his class after this stupidity, but perhaps he really wants to inflame Iraqi's against the USA. Good job, then, Pompeus.
Posted by: divadab | 01 January 2020 at 01:03 PM
What I don't understand, is If the PM was given a heads up, why didn't he get on the horn and give these guys some warning. Give them a chance to scatter. Would anyone here sit still and let a bunch of their guys get killed?
Posted by: Brad Ruble | 01 January 2020 at 01:15 PM
The below paragraph is from 2004, by the notorious Thomas Friedman, whom I trust as far as I can throw Fred Kagan. Was he lying about Iraqis calling US troops "Jews"? If not, is this nickname still being used? Did it spread to Syria?
I was speaking the other day with Scott Pelley of CBS News's "60 Minutes" about the mood in Iraq. He had just returned from filming a piece there and he told me something disturbing. Scott had gone around and asked Iraqis on the streets what they called American troops -- wondering if they had nicknames for us in the way we used to call the Nazis "Krauts" or the Vietcong "Charlie." And what did he find? "Many Iraqis have so much distrust for U.S. forces we found they've come up with a nickname for our troops," Scott said. "They call American soldiers 'The Jews,' as in, 'Don't go down that street, the Jews set up a roadblock."'
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/opinion/jews-israel-and-america.html
Posted by: Vegetius | 01 January 2020 at 01:47 PM
Happy New Year, dear TTG!
Elijah Magnier is saying in his Twitter account that were to be Iran behind this intent on assault on the US embassy, protesters would have not retired, but would have gone till the end...
On the other hand, if Elora does not recall badly, at the time when the troops wer allegedly to be retired from Syira´s NorthEast, there was an intent on increasing troops in Iraq which was immediately refused by the Iraqi Parliament and current government. Soon after that, anti-Íranian protests started, with PMU HQ and some Iranian embassies and consulates being attacked and even set on fire...
Now, after this strikes, the US is sending varound 750 marines more into Iraq...
It would seem that the initial event, with such limited damage, that triggered the disprorportionate massive strike by the US on PMU positions in the borders of Iraq and Syria ( which could be deemed main stronghold against IS bidirectional infiltration ) has served very well the initial purpose of increasing US military presence in Iraq, now a seemingly justified situation...
People behind this strikes were for sure previewing the obvious consequences, do not you think? Then, after throwing the shit all over iran, one would say they achieved two birds with one shot
Posted by: Elora Danan | 01 January 2020 at 01:49 PM
Brad, according to the Pentagon, the PM was given 30 minutes notice. The PM wasted his time trying to convince CJTFOIR not to strike. We never had any intention of listening to him.
Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 01 January 2020 at 02:29 PM
Brad, Good question, however I'm trying to get what the initial justification was for the Iraqi forces to attack the U.S. forces
killing a contractor & wounding some U.S. troops. I'll welcome a
response/explanation from anyone. I'm trying to understand how this
entire situation started.
Posted by: elaine | 01 January 2020 at 02:30 PM
Vegetius, it's crude shorthand. I know a lot of people who, without thinking, equate the current Likudnik Israeli government actions with Jews in general. The Iraqis just consider American troops as pawns doing the bidding of the Israeli government. I can't say they're wrong.
Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 01 January 2020 at 02:33 PM
By looking at who keeps fuelling the anger instead of running to try damage control...one would make itself an idea which is the lumbrera behind these attacks...
It seems that "Captain Mike" keeps spreading missinformation and fake news by using photos of leaders of KH along with Iraqi National Security Minister, present in the funerals of the fallen, to accuse them of directing the protesters into attacking the mebassy...labelling the three, including Iraqi Minister, as terrorists...
https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1212160732445499394
What does he want, a new WOT?
Posted by: Elora Danan | 01 January 2020 at 02:39 PM
There is a commenter at MoA, called Dr. George Oprisko, who, by citing a source, is throwing some light on what really has happened...
According to the information he brings in, amongst it information published by the Times of Israel, there are other "interests" at play here. It seems that once the US troops withdrew from Kurdish zone in the NorthEast, they were replaced by Israeli operatives which seem to participate in the continuous smuggling of Iraqi/Syrian oil and supply of Kurds/IS forces...
He points at Israeli operation, since the original attack was a combined Iraqi Military/PMF post monitoring oil flows ( the K1 base in Kirkuk, where people at terrain affirm not having seen an American since ages...), for the purpose of taking advantage of current disarray in the Iraqui government over domestic unrest to steal lots of oil for the benefit of Israel...
He sumarizes by saying:
Would it not be necessary a good new year cleaning at DoS?
Some people should be fired...
Posted by: Elora Danan | 01 January 2020 at 03:09 PM
Axis of Evil plots a two-front war. Interesting timing.
Posted by: Factotum | 01 January 2020 at 03:15 PM
Elora did not know till now, but it seems to be even almost as large as Vatican City...
https://twitter.com/PressTV/status/1212337415081381888
Posted by: Elora Danan | 01 January 2020 at 03:20 PM
The Federalist weighs in with a 180 degree different view point - looks more like a media war played out on the home front than facts played out on the ground. But far more concern this is one more tar baby, like everything else in the Middle East. https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/01/the-media-is-lying-about-the-attacks-on-the-embassy-in-baghdad/
Just when I was starting to sort out all those Ukrainian names, now I have a new vocabulary list of Iraqi's and Iranians to track too.
Posted by: Factotum | 01 January 2020 at 03:26 PM
The caretaker PM Abdel Mahdi was placed by the orchestrators of all this between a rock and a hard place, holding as they are the PMU militias and other Shia factions ( like that of Al Sadr, quite numerous..) a strong support/influence in the Iraqi Parliament ( after their effective hard work agsint ISIS...) while finding himself almost ousted from power right now by the allegedly popular anti-Iranian protests of the past weeks..
One would say that what was intended, as one of some outcomes, was the definitive ousting of Adel Mahdi, after he took some measures which were not of the taste of some at the US administration in Iraq, like the opening of the Syria/Iraq border to commercial traffick...
Posted by: Elora Danan | 01 January 2020 at 03:31 PM
Thank you
Posted by: Brad Ruble | 01 January 2020 at 03:31 PM
Elora Danan
You don't sound like your usual girlie self and you continue, perhaps deliberately, to underestimate the collective ineptitude of the US government.
Posted by: Turcopolier | 01 January 2020 at 04:36 PM
Elora,
I wish I could find photos of the US embassy in Managua which do it justice. It is huge - and it sits up on a ridge that overlooks the city. The Poles complain about the imperialistic hubris of the Russian embassy in Warsaw - but it is nothing in comparison.
Posted by: JamesT | 01 January 2020 at 04:40 PM
Guess who is also rubbing his hands...and achieving a former personal goal even when already fired...
https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1211659607027986432
Posted by: Elora Danan | 01 January 2020 at 04:41 PM
Factotum,
Your Federalist piece looks like neocon propaganda to me.
Posted by: JamesT | 01 January 2020 at 04:43 PM
Elora makes herself an idea on what could be going on by just following a bunch of Twitter accounts and blogs out there, along with some Iranian/Lebanese media.., like almost everybody else in the net...she guesses...
Elora is very interested in Middle East events...ut not only...
Am I underestimating the collective ineptitutde of the USG? In what way?
( not sure if Elora is understanding you well here...)
Posted by: Elora Danan | 01 January 2020 at 05:15 PM
Shias ~ US ~= Germans ~ Rome.
Posted by: Terry | 01 January 2020 at 05:17 PM
Thanks for responding Elora, however I wonder who are the"Israeli operatives"? Sunnis employed by Israel? For purposes of smuggling oil. I don'get it...they're smuggling oil so they attack U.S. forces??? A false flag op in hopes of heating up U.S. Iran conflict? I can't connect too many dots & the initial aggression is done under an Iraqi flag? This is too convoluted. And how is the oil transported to Israel?
What's next in the realm of conspiracies? It was a U.S. friendly fire cover up? How about the official version? The Iranians just want to get it on & think the Chinese &/or Russians will back them in getting the
U.S. out of Iraq? Will we ever really know?
Posted by: elaine | 01 January 2020 at 05:20 PM
Perhaps this should all be called "Operation Rope-A-Dope" since the initial attack on Kata’ib Hezbollah outposts, as you describe, brought a rather predictable response from Iraqi's and forced, or allowed Mike Pompous and Mark Esper to influence, Trump's response. You would think that both a Former head of the CIA and the current Secretary of Defense would be aware of the facts you point out regarding Kata’ib Hezbollah being part of the PMU and integral to the Iraq military's actions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Not only has the US killed people who might not actually have been involved in the triggering incident but we also managed to damage our country's already shaky credibility in Iraq. But on a bright note Pompeo can claim to have big cahones when he runs for Senate in Kansas since he and Esper manged to get Trump to increase troop levels by almost 100%.
Congradulations on getting played Mr. "what are we doing in the Middle East". Should we conclude that the sanctions that we are being told are driving regime change in Iran aren't working and their government is so stable that they do the one thing that will trigger a resonse - attack Americans? I didn't realize you thought Iran's government wasn't as smart as Syria's. At least you get to tweet about "anti-Benghazi" and be all macho. Maybe you should have told the best and brightest no to the attack Kata’ib Hezbollah without some real evidence; then get them to explain just why they thought units of Iraq's militray would do something so stupid to begin with.
Posted by: Fred | 01 January 2020 at 05:28 PM
however I'm trying to get what the initial justification was for the Iraqi forces to attack the U.S. forces killing a contractor & wounding some U.S. troops
Who can confirm that it was the Iraqi forces who did the attacks?
Only Pompeo and his ilks are spewing the misleading myth that it is Iran , even to the point of equating KH with Hizb'Allah from South Lebanon. Oh, because they found four unused rockets " made in Iran" !
Posted by: The Beaver | 01 January 2020 at 05:30 PM
Look Pat, no need to publish this comment ( since Elora has already posted way too many ), may be you could use this analysis to make your own on this issue? Elora would like to read your input too..
This analysis was linked in a Twitt by Mark Sleboda, one amongst whom Elora usually follows up...
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2019/12/31/wearing-out-a-welcome-in-iraq/
Posted by: Elora Danan | 01 January 2020 at 05:33 PM
Terry, you lost me. What are you saying?
Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 01 January 2020 at 05:44 PM