Iraqi Shiite militiamen stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad earlier today, retaliating for the U.S. airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia forces in Iraq on Sunday. Dozens of the militiamen and their supporters entered the embassy and set a fire inside, while some climbed to the roof. The escalating conflict began when the Iranian-backed militia forces fired rockets into a U.S. military compound last week, killing a contractor and wounded others. U.S. warplanes responded with airstrikes that killed an estimated 25 Shiite militia members on Sunday. The government of Iraq had opposed the U.S. airstrikes, but was ignored.
Unhinged, impeached demagogue and draft dodger Donald "Bone Spurs" Trump, using his favorite form of official communication, tweeted this morning that he was holding Iran responsible for the embassy attack. Trump's mismanagement of Middle Eastern affairs is having repercussions, per the Associated Press:
"The developments represent a major downturn in Iraq-U.S. relations that could further undermine U.S. influence in the region and also weaken Washington’s hand in its maximum pressure campaign against Iran.If and when Trump plunges us into a conflict with Iran, a much larger and militarily stronger country than Iraq, this may be this incident that prompted it. As the passage above notes, we need Iraq to help us in the region, and that help is looking more and more elusive with Trump's blundering.
Iraq has long struggled to balance its ties with the U.S. and Iran, both allies of the Iraqi government. But the government’s angry reaction to the U.S. airstrikes and its apparent decision not to prevent the protesters from reaching the embassy signaled a sharp deterioration of U.S.-Iraq relations." (our emphasis)
Trump has been trying frantically to distract the public from his multiple failings and crimes, which have culminated in his impeachment. War in an election year -- the "wag the dog" strategy -- is a risky proposition, but it served former President Dumbya in 2004, who wrapped himself in the flag, and falsely conflated the 9-11 attack by mostly Saudi nationals with Saddam Hussein's saber rattling. Ominously, Trump is crazed and reckless enough to try anything to rally support, including armed conflict with Iran.
(photo: Qassim Abdul-Zahra/AP)
