This is good:
Today, the United States and Iraq will launch a strategic dialogue to discuss the future of their bilateral relationship. For Washington, the priority should be determining whether Iraq’s government remains a viable partner worthy of continued U.S. support.
Answering that question affirmatively has become decidedly more difficult in recent months. Last October, large-scale protests erupted in Iraq against the country’s post-2003 governing class. The bill of indictment included massive corruption, the failure to deliver basic services, and the systematic subversion of Iraq’s independence by sectarian militias beholden to Iran.
This is a good time to help Iraq move forward on battling corruption and bolstering rule of law, reducing ISIL, and expelling the Iranian malign influence which interferes with those missions:
Iraqi militia factions expected the usual cash handout when the new head of Iran’s expeditionary Quds Force made his first visit to Baghdad earlier this year, succeeding the slain Gen. Qassim Soleimani. Instead, to their disappointment, Esmail Ghaani brought them silver rings.
For his second visit, Ghaani had to apply for a visa, something unheard of in Soleimani’s time — a bold step by Baghdad’s new government effectively curtailing Iran’s freedom of movement inside Iraq.
The episodes, relayed to The Associated Press by several Iraqi officials, illustrate Iran’s struggles to maintain sway over Iraqi militias six months after America assassinated Soleimani and top militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike. Iran at the same time is grappling with the economic fallout from U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus outbreak.
And yes, we've won a lot already. Why people can't see that is beyond me.
Work the problem. Exiting Iraq will just abandon all that we have achieved. Any level of withdrawal from our already low level of 5,000 troops is a problem.
So I hope this story about halving our troop presence soon on the way to leaving totally is wrong:
The US said it will withdraw troops from Iraq in the coming months, six months after the assassination of an Iranian general in Baghdad threatened to see them expelled from the country.
Well, it's wrong that America was in danger of being kicked out 6 months ago. I'm hoping the withdrawal part is wrong, too.
Remember, Iraq is a front in the war against Iran. So even if we don't care about Iraq's fate--and we should--Iraq's value as an asset to push Iran's influence out of the region means we should support Iraq and not walk away.
We can achieve more if we try. But we have to try.
