Why
Has Uncle Sam Fallen Asleep? The US Paying A Heavy Price
23 May 2010
By Abdul Rahman
Al-Rashid
A battle is taking place that will shape the future of
one of the most important countries in the Middle
East, a future that may shape the destiny of other
countries in the region, and whose results will go on
to affect the rest of the world. Despite the clear
importance of the future of rule in Iraq, it seems
that the US administration is in a deep sleep, or
rather is pretending to be asleep, we don't know
which. In either case, the Americans are making a new
mistake [in Iraq] whether this is out of negligence or
deliberate ignorance; they are primarily responsible
for the future of this country that is still
practically under their control, they are the ones who
designed the state project and formed the current
leadership after they toppled the former regime. It
was also the Americans who put in place the
decision-making process for choosing who holds office
i.e. the elections and drew up the constitution. US
fighter jets are still protecting Iraqi air space, and
their security apparatus continues to monitor every
small detail on the ground. More importantly than all
of this, , and this has cost them the deaths of over
4,000 troops as well as one trillion dollars, and God
only knows the number of Iraqi casualties. Is it
reasonable for Uncle Sam to fall asleep at this
critical moment in which the leader of Iraq over the
next four years is being decided? This is indeed a
strange time to fall asleep!
Why has Washington, since the end of the elections,
remained silent in a strange and suspicious manner?
According to a Washington official, President Barack
Obama's administration has decided not to interfere,
and it prefers for the Iraqis to choose their own
president, prime minister, and future government. The
US believes that it will be able to deal with whoever
wins and becomes the new leader of Iraq. However a
second opinion of the situation is that the Obama
administration wants to escape from Iraq, and does not
want to get involved, and the only thing it is
concerned with is the scheduled troop withdrawal that
is set to begin this summer. This would be an
appropriate position if there was a possibility for
escape! As for the freedom to choose the government of
Iraq, this is a wise choice if this were left up to
the Iraqis to decide. However the regional countries,
particularly Iran, are exerting tremendous pressure to
determine the future of Iraq and are utilizing all of
their tools to this effect.
If the US believes that it will be able to deal with
an Iraqi coalition formed by Tehran tomorrow then it
should think again.
Until now, [Iraqi] Shiite parties have been successful
in evading demands placed upon them by Iran to form a
coalition that is in harmony with the wishes of Iran.
The major Shiite parties have refused this until now,
but will they be able to continue saying No? Perhaps
not!
Despite our apprehensions, nobody objects to the next
Iraqi Prime Minister having good relations with Iran,
the problem is only if the Iranians are the ones who
choose this.
As for the Americans, they are making a historic
mistake by allowing the Iranians to run Shiite parties
and impose their viewpoint on them. Iraq will pay the
price of this, as will the rest of the world, and the
US will pay the highest price of all if Iran succeeds
in forcing its will on the Iraqi leadership, because
Iran will transform the country into another Lebanon
and they will be in control of even the smallest
details. Iraq represents a life-raft for Iran with
regards to dealing with the threats and pressures that
the Iranian regime is facing as a result of its
nuclear program, and the hostile policies that it is
pursuing in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, the Gulf, Yemen,
Somalia, and Pakistan. Iraq could represent an Iranian
backdoor against the international embargo placed upon
it, as well a huge financial treasury, as Iraq's oil
production this year stands at three times the size of
Iran's. Therefore Iran will be capable of smuggling,
exporting, funding, and spending via Iraq. Iran will
be able to save itself through Iraq, however without
it the Tehran regime will die. This is a fact that is
clear to anybody who is aware of the situation in both
countries today.
Washington is spending a lot of money and exerting a
lot of effort in order to impose sanctions on Iran.
However by leaving Iraq in Iran's hands it facilitates
Tehran taking hold of the country with the second
largest oil reserves in the world. It is funny that
Washington believes that it is laying siege to Iran by
attempting to buy off Syria and intimidate Turkey,
while at the same time it is leaving Iraq open to
Ahmadinejad's regime. If you believe this is
exaggeration, then you must read the situation as it
stands today. The Iranians have succeeded in ripping
off the Americans in Iraq to the point that they have
even taken control of former strong US allies such as
the Kurds, half of whom have become allied with the
Iranian regime. This is unbelievable, but
unfortunately it is the truth.
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments