Unintended Consequences?
From the BBC – Qasem Soleimani: Why his killing is good news for IS jihadists:
The Islamic State (IS) group has welcomed the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the head of the elite Quds Force.
In a statement, it described the general’s demise as an act of divine intervention that benefited jihadists. However, it made no mention at all of the US, which carried out the deadly drone strike against Soleimani in Baghdad on 3 January.
President Donald Trump’s decision to assassinate Gen Soleimani set off a chain of consequences – one of the first was on the unfinished war against jihadists.
From Juan Cole – “Don’t close your eyes, American troops in Iraq” – provoked by Trump’s crazed attack, Shiite militias threaten US military. The Iranian government responded in a very measured way to the death of their general. but the Iraqi militias are going to want American blood for the death of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
US dismisses Iraq request to work on a troop withdrawal plan
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s caretaker prime minister asked Washington to start working out a road map for an American troop withdrawal, but the U.S. State Department on Friday bluntly rejected the request, saying the two sides should instead talk about how to “recommit” to their partnership.
The US took unilateral action on foreign soil without any consultation with the government of Iraq, there is no partnership to talk about. Trump wants NATO to do more, but there was no consultation with the commanders of NATO forces on the ground before the assassination took place. Now Canada and Germany are reviewing their efforts in Iraq. Trump has already abandoned the Kurds, so there is no one left who wants to be a partner with the US.
Meanwhile Trump’s BFF Vlad has his navy play bumper cars with US vessels:
(CNN) — A Russian warship “aggressively approached” a US Navy destroyer while it was operating in the North Arabian Sea Thursday, ignoring warnings from the US vessel and increasing the risk of a collision, the US Navy said Friday.
Trump has managed to alienate everyone that we need to accomplish stated US goals around the world while sucking up to people and governments who want to see us fail.
6 comments
We’ve chatted several times over the years on your blog about USA meddling in Global affairs that pretty much always end’s badly for the USA, and about Iran. So you know how I feel about all this.
OT: I tried posting an updated comment on the “Real Life Intrudes” thread, as I posted it I got a “Comments are closed” message. If it’s still around somewhere, could you read it (and maybe post it somewhere?) Thanks. 🙂
The US foreign policy people have a longer learning curve than a Special Needs class. The kids want to learn, but the foreign policy wonks just want to justify their master’s thesis from university. Even AI ‘learns’ from mistakes, but not retired generals who work for defense contractors.
On you posting problem – the software closes comments on all posts after 30 days to reduce spam. Sorry but the comment wasn’t put anywhere, it was dumped.
I must have just hit the 30 day limit while I was posting. *shrug*
Anyway, I’m home. They kicked me out Sat. even though two stitches popped near my shoulder & the wound opened. Doc. wanted me to stay until Mon or Wed to keep an eye on it. So as expected, Admin trump’s Medical advice. What’s new? I have Outpatient appointments every Monday for a few weeks. I had to wait almost 2.5 hours on Monday. Typical. Put me on oral antibiotics (Cephalexin) & a lot of other med’s. Have to take 14 pills with breakfast! (Though only 8 different med’s, some double dose & 1 triple).
Seen this, for a laugh?
Gen. John Raymond sworn in as first Space Force chief
Gov. even has an official website now:
https://www.spaceforce.mil/Biographies/Article/2040592/general-john-w-jay-raymond
The Secretary of the Air Force changed the name of the 14th Air Force to the Space Force and everyone in the 14th became Space Cadets. They are all wearing Air Force uniforms with Air Force badges and medals. It is a complete waste of paper and money to appease a toddler. Raymond was commander of the Air Force Space Command, so they changed his title and gave him a seat at the big guys table at the Pentagon. This is bad theater.
14 pills is not easy to keep track of, especially since half of them are probably the same shape and color. They should have released you to a rehab facility at least until the wounds healed but politicians don’t want to spend the money.
Talking about Vlad, apparently another journalist in Moscow has died after mysteriously falling out of a window. In Moscow. In winter.
There has been a chronic problem with gravity, windows, and journalists in Putin’s Russia. But of course you know that Mango Mussolini wishes he could do the same to his own pesky journalists…
This winter they had to import snow for the New Year celebration. That said, windows in Moscow that are actually capable of being opened are a bit short in supply, so it would have required a lot of work for that to happen, some might say it was a miracle 😈
Vlad is restructuring the Russian constitution and just had the current government resign. It is possible he no longer trusts Medvedev to be the loyal soldier. He may be about to shift the real power to the Prime Minister and make the President a figure head like Germany and Israel.