Iraq is trying to play a significant regional role to try to reduce tensions. It also serves Iraq’s interests, as the Baghdad summit showed.
Diverse political groups in Iraq are increasingly demanding the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the country. Their focus is the US presence that is at the root of all of Iraq’s problems.
Why the US and its Nato allies will continue to look for pretexts to continue interference in Afghanistan and why they will fail.
Soundly defeated militarily by the Taliban, the US warlords have not given up on mischief-making. They are setting up a trap for Pakistan even as they retreat in disgrace from Afghanistan.
While announced to much fanfare that US troops would be out of Afghanistan by September 11, US President Joe Biden left out whether the 18,000 mercenaries euphemistically called “contractors”, operating in Afghanistan would also go. The Taliban are not amused.
America’s addiction to war necessitates the manufacture of enemies. The warlords in Washington deliberately provoke conflicts because it helps sell weapons at exorbitant prices raking in billions of dollars in profits.
While it is well known that global spending on weapons is extremely high, in the last five years this has reached a staggering total of $1.92 trillion. The US leads the world in military spending with an annual budget of $732 billion, far out-spending its nearest rival China at $261 billion.
Will the US take on China militarily? It is highly unlikely because the Washington warlords know they would face almost certain defeat. Instead, the US is creating alliances with various countries to confront China both economically and militarily.
Joe Biden is beginning to have second thoughts about withdrawing all US forces from Afghanistan. Should he fail to honour the February 29, 2020 agreement his predecessor signed with the Taliban, there is every likelihood of intensification of conflict resulting is US forces driven out Afghanistan in ignominy.
All countries rely on myths to project their image but American myths about its greatness and as a light unto other nations are repeated so often that most people have come to believe them. The reality is very different.
