Two thousand Iraqis were killed in March alone. The attack on Sadrist forces, insisted upon by the US, was a huge fiasco, and the subsequent "peace" between Maliki and Sadr was brokered by America’s bete noir, Qassam Sulaymani, head of the Quds Brigade of the Iranian National Guard. The US had to stand by watching impotently. The cat is out of the bag. Iran doesn’t have the weapons but it has the greater influence.
If the US wants to stay in Iraq it will be as junior partner with the Iranians, paying the Sunnis to keep quiet. It will cost a fortune and achieve nothing. The propaganda from the subservient U.S media is being pumped out at high volume, but it cannot hide the failure of the whole enterprise. But then only the under-educated ever thought it was anything else.
Iraq is a no-win scenario for the next President and could actually ensure a four year-only term. If the US withdraws there will be outright mayhem, no oil fields and Iran in control; if the US stays the oil supply will remain iffy, the body count will continue upwards and resentment caused among Americans will wither any Presidency.
Do the current candidates understand the poisoned chalice presented them by the Devil’s Legates, Bush and Cheney? Afghanistan is presented, in contrast, as the “good war”, as if there could be a “good war”! It isn’t. It is a further catastrophe about to happen and is being as badly mishandled as Iraq. This is, I prophesy, the beginning of the end of American hegemony and the start of serious instability throughout the world, fueled by excessive population, climate change and hunger.
“This is, I prophesy, the beginning of the end of American hegemony.”
Could that signal the start of more humanity and realism in foreign policy? We could do without the “hegemony” which sponsored death squads, financed psychopaths, and overthrew legitimate governments?
Afghanistan — does anyone really believe that has been a “success” under any definition? I don’t think Jesus or Buddha or any outside power could have “handled” Afghanistan,
“Could that signal the start of more humanity and realism in foreign policy? We could do without the “hegemony†which sponsored death squads, financed psychopaths, and overthrew legitimate governments?”
Maybe, but don’t hold your breath. The forces of malignity rule o.k.