As Washington and Tehran trade threats, a number of influential
Iraqi Shia leaders have warned that a conflict between the US and Iran
would be disastrous for Iraq, possibly destroying the country beyond
repair.
A prominent Shia cleric, a
leading politician and two militia representatives each voiced
opposition to a possible war with the Islamic Republic on Monday,
warning of apocalyptic consequences for their country.
“This war would mark the end of Iraq,” said Shia cleric and politician Muqtada al-Sadr, whose populist ‘Sadrist’ movement enjoys a large following. “We need peace and reconstruction.”
Any political party that would advocate such a war “would be the enemy of the Iraqi people,” al-Sadr said, arguing that Iraq would become “a scene for conflict,” caught between the warring powers.
“This war would mark the end of Iraq,” said Shia cleric and politician Muqtada al-Sadr, whose populist ‘Sadrist’ movement enjoys a large following. “We need peace and reconstruction.”
Any political party that would advocate such a war “would be the enemy of the Iraqi people,” al-Sadr said, arguing that Iraq would become “a scene for conflict,” caught between the warring powers.
Sunday, there was a rocket attack on the Green Zone. Rocket attacks on the Green Zone are common. REUTERS notes the most recent one was in September. AP noted that the US State Dept was saying the rocket landed near the US Embassy. With no proof, Carlo Munoz (WASHINGTON TIMES) rushed to insist the US Embassy was the target and to link Iran to the attack. This was not just bad reporting, in the current climate, this was dangerous reporting.
There was no evidence cited in Munoz's 'report.' And no evidence has been cited period.
If the United States has evidence of Iranian threats against the peace and specifically against the U.S. take it to Security Council, an action most "normal states" would pursue. But the U.S. is not a "normal state," it is a rogue state & threat to peace & international order.
THE ARAB TIMES reminds, "Last week, the US ordered the evacuation of nonessential diplomatic staff from Iraq amid unspecified threats from Iran and rising tensions across the region. The White House has also sent warships and bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter the alleged Iranian threats. Iraqi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Rasoul tweeted Monday that the army command in Baghdad is working 'day and night; to guarantee the security of citizens, foreign missions and international and local companies." Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Bassem Mroue (AP) add, "As tensions escalate, there are concerns that Baghdad could once again get caught in the middle, just as it is on the path to recovery. The country hosts more than 5,000 U.S. troops, and is home to powerful Iranian-backed militias, some of whom want those U.S. forces to leave."
The Iraq War continues and the US government is working to expand it into neighboring Iran.
US House Rep Tulsi Gabbard is an Iraq War veteran who is seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Sunday she appeared on ABC's THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULUS:
GABBARD: The
problem that I have seen is that across both Democrat and Republican
administrations, and especially in this Trump administration where,
right now, he is leading us down this dangerous path towards a war with
Iran …
STEPHANOPOULOS: He says he doesn’t want it.
GABBARD: He says he doesn’t want it but the actions of him and his
administration, people like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, tell us a very
different story. They are setting the stage for a war with Iran that
would prove to be far more costly, far more devastating and dangerous
than anything that we saw in the Iraq war, a war that I served in a
medical unit where every single day I saw firsthand the high human cost
of war.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, one of the actions they took this week was
evacuating, as you know, our diplomatic posts in Iraq because they were
concerned, based on the intelligence, that Iran may be looking to strike
U.S. interests. You don’t buy it?
GABBARD: I don’t. You know, we heard conflicting stories coming from the
British commander who is the co-commander of the fight against ISIS and
Al-Qaeda there in Iraq and Syria saying, hey, he hadn’t seen an
escalation of tensions or threats coming from these Iraqi – or these
Shia militias serving in Iraq. I think what we’re seeing, unfortunately,
is what looks a lot like people in the Trump administration trying to
create a pretext or an excuse for us to go to war against Iran, a war
that would actually undermine our national security, cost us countless
American lives, cost civilian lives across the region, exacerbate the
refugee crisis in Europe, and it would actually make us less safe by
strengthening terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
Friday, Tulsi Gabbard appeared on PBS' THE NEWSHOUR and discussed the possibility of war on Iran:
Judy Woodruff:
Right now, there is a lot of attention being paid to whether the Trump administration is edging closer to some sort of military confrontation with Iran.
What would you be doing differently?
Right now, there is a lot of attention being paid to whether the Trump administration is edging closer to some sort of military confrontation with Iran.
What would you be doing differently?
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard:
A number of things.
I think, first, it's important to make sure the American people understand that a war with Iran would be far more costly and far more devastating than anything that we experienced in Iraq.
What we would see is a devastating cost on our troops, my brothers and sisters in uniform, a cost on the civilians, people both in Iran and across the region, worst refugee crisis across Europe, as well as a strengthening of terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaida, further undermining our national security.
So, it would essentially make the war in Iraq look like a cakewalk, when we look at the cost of going to war with Iran.
A number of things.
I think, first, it's important to make sure the American people understand that a war with Iran would be far more costly and far more devastating than anything that we experienced in Iraq.
What we would see is a devastating cost on our troops, my brothers and sisters in uniform, a cost on the civilians, people both in Iran and across the region, worst refugee crisis across Europe, as well as a strengthening of terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaida, further undermining our national security.
So, it would essentially make the war in Iraq look like a cakewalk, when we look at the cost of going to war with Iran.
Not only do we need to oppose war on Iran, we need to register which candidates who'd like to be president are speaking out against such a move. Strongly speaking out at this point? Tulsi, US Senator Bernie Sanders, US House Rep. Seth Moulton and former US Senator Mike Gravel.
We should also note that Senator Elizabeth Warren raised the issue. Once in her Twitter feed. On May 14th. Six days later and she hasn't mentioned it again. Her Twitter feed has added 20 Tweets since then and not one of them was about war on Iran. Thanks for standing up -- that one time -- Elizabeth.