dinarham Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 The ruby backfired as it actually made me feel good ! 3 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screwball Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 3 hours ago, Spartakus said: Very good we need the currency revaluation first before we can leave this mess. Otherwise we will never get paid. They won’t leave without one 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsesoldier Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 We're not going anywhere . . . this time. Not until we're damn good and ready. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckFinley Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 1 hour ago, dinarham said: I believe that the pallets of loaded US cash delivered to Iran by Obama paid for the weapons used to kill innocent and exploited people . Obama's "stategic patience " policy was a cowardly excuse to do nothing but make people like him . He pulled our troops out early of Iraq just to keep a campaign promise . He wasn't privy to what the hell was going then ,but made this commitment anyway . Did any of the Uranium sold by Hill makes its way to Iran ? Strategic patience , cowardly ,how to save your own ass . How about strategic action where you take out a big Iranian gun yet know you will receive big blowback ? See you got zing for that but you are right. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckFinley Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 1 hour ago, dinarham said: The ruby backfired as it actually made me feel good ! It always works that way. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6ly410 Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 Tuesday، 07 January 2020 01:29 AM There has been no decision to leave Iraq: Pentagon's chief https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/45326/There-has-been-no-decision-to-leave-Iraq-Pentagon-s-chief US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday that “There has been no decision to leave Iraq,” following the delivery of a letter sent to the Iraqi military alleging the US was going to ‘thin out’ troops in Baghdad. He was referring to the reports that the head of Combined Joint Task Force Iraq, General William H. Seely III, had informed the Iraqi government of preparations to reposition the coalition forces “in due deference to the sovereignty” of Iraq. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said that the letter Seely had sent was only a draft and that releasing it was a “mistake.” The Iraqi military confirmed receiving it, however. Esper would neither confirm nor deny the letter’s authenticity, though US Army public relations officials said earlier it was real. Instead, he reiterated the position staked out earlier by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that the Iraqi people “want the US to stay,” and cited the rise in attacks by Iranian “proxy groups.” US President Donald Trump likewise rejected the withdrawal on Sunday, threatening Iraq with sanctions and saying the US will not leave until the Iraqis “pay us back” for an airbase that he said cost billions of dollars to build. 5 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6ly410 Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) Trump administration drafting possible sanctions against Iraq https://www.stripes.com/news/us/trump-administration-drafting-possible-sanctions-against-iraq-1.613751 President Donald Trump attends a ceremony at the White House in Washington on Oct. 30, 2019. On Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, Trump warned that economic sanctions may be imposed on Iraq "if there's any hostility, that they do anything we think is inappropriate." CARLOS BONGIOANNI/STARS AND STRIPES By JEFF STEIN AND JOSH DAWSEY | The Washington Post | Published: January 6, 2020 WASHINGTON — Senior administration officials have begun drafting sanctions against Iraq after President Donald Trump publicly threatened the country with economic penalties if it proceeded to expel U.S. troops, according to three people briefed on the planning. The Treasury Department and White House would likely play a lead role if the sanctions are implemented, the officials said. Such a step would represent a highly unusual move against a foreign ally that the United States has spent almost two decades and hundreds of billions of dollars supporting. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations, stressed that talks were preliminary and that no final decision has been made on whether to impose the sanctions. One of the officials said the plan was to wait "at least a little while" on the sanctions decision in order to see whether Iraqi officials followed through on their threat to push U.S. troops out of the country. Sanctions are a type of economic penalty that the White House can use to try and isolate and penalize a person, company or government. For example, the White House could impose sanctions in a way that prohibits American businesses from working with Iraqi businesses, cutting people or companies off from the U.S. economy and financial sector. The discussions about possible sanctions are part of a spiraling White House scramble to deal with the aftermath of Trump's decision to kill Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani last week. Trump has floated multiple scenarios, both in terms of a military response and an economic response, aimed at both Iran and Iraq depending on how they decide to react. On Sunday, in response to the killing, Iraq's parliament voted to expel American troops from the country. Trump responded quickly by saying he could impose "very big sanctions" on Iraq. If American troops are forced out of Iraq, Trump said, "We will charge [Iraq] sanctions like they've never seen before, ever. It'll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame." Trump added that sanctions would be imposed on Iraq "if there's any hostility, that they do anything we think is inappropriate." He also demanded that Iraq reimburse the United States billions of dollars for investments made in an air base there as a precursor for any troops leaving. Trump's public broadside against Iraq, and the private, internal planning about how to proceed, comes as tensions in the Middle East reach a fever pitch over the U.S. killing of Soleimani. Broad confusion remains over how the U.S. will respond to those demands. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday that the U.S. has not decided to leave Iraq, after a letter surfaced in which the U.S. military said to Iraqi officials that U.S. forces would be relocating "to prepare for onward movement." Some experts say it would be difficult if not impossible to implement punitive sanctions against Iraq without inadvertently hurting American interests, given the extensive links between the two nations forged through 17 years of war. Thousands of American troops have died fighting the war in Iraq, and the U.S. has spent more than $1 trillion on that conflict. "I'm astounded by what's even being discussed," said Peter Kucik, who served in the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which implements sanctions policy, under the Bush and Obama administrations. "You don't typically use force against your allies. We are threatening to use extreme coercive policy tools against countries with whom we are allied." The president likely has the legal basis to unilaterally impose the sanctions on Iraq, said Erich Ferrari, an attorney who specializes in U.S. sanctions law. "But I think it sets a bad precedent," Ferrari said. "At a minimum, it's disrespectful to their sovereignty to say: 'If you're going to make us leave, we'll impose harsh economic punishments on you.' " Edited January 7, 2020 by 6ly410 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boosterbglee Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 Stop the auctions........that will make them cry uncle! 2 1 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueskyline Posted January 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-army-tells-iraq-it-preparing-move-out...... Chaos: Pentagon Denies "Poorly Worded" Iraq Withdrawal Letter, Esper Says "No Decision To Leave Iraq, Period" by Tyler Durden Mon, 01/06/2020 - 16:17 7 SHARES TwitterFacebookRedditEmailPrint Update 2 (4:30pmET): In the latest update to her stream of tweets from the press conference, McClatchy reporter Tara Copp added that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Milley joined Esper during the press pow pow to confirm that the letter's publication was "a mistake." He added that it was "poorly worded" and "had not been signed," details that were apparently overlooked during the initial press reports. Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp MORE BREAKING: @thejointstaff Gen. Milley came back to brief us again after looking at the letter. "It was a mistake," he said. Milley said it was a draft, poorly worded, and had not been signed. It was being worked w/ Iraqis. Bottom Line: US troops ARE NOT leaving, he said. https://twitter.com/TaraCopp/status/1214291544553017346 … Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp BREAKING: @EsperDoD says memo on withdrawal is not accurate “there’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq.” 458 3:25 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 596 people are talking about this So the letter was "genuine," but sent out by mistake, according to both Esper and now Milley. zerohedge@zerohedge *U.S. LETTER TO IRAQ SENT MISTAKENLY, GENERAL MILLEY SAYS what? 732 3:33 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 383 people are talking about this Looks like somebody has some explaining to do..... Update (4:05pmET): Despite the fact that news outlets have circulated a photo of the memo and cited several sources testifying to its accuracy, Defense Secretary Esper told reporters Monday afternoon that the memo was "not accurate" and that "there's been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq...we've issued no plans to leave." Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp BREAKING: @EsperDoD says memo on withdrawal is not accurate “there’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq.” 2,295 3:03 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 2,381 people are talking about this Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp Replying to @TaraCopp Esper adds that his staff is “trying to figure out” what memo is “there are no plans to leave” - may reflect repositioning, but not a withdrawal 521 3:05 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 310 people are talking about this Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp Also, critically, @EsperDoD says US forces will “follow the laws of armed conflict” regarding the protection of cultural sites 308 3:07 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 164 people are talking about this Reporters from CBS and other outlets quickly confirmed McClatchy reporter Tara Copp's reporting (Esper apparently made the statement during a press gaggle Monday afternoon). Others reported that Esper denied an NYT report claiming that assassinating Suleimani was intended as a "throwaway option" when it was presented to President Trump. "We didn't put any option on the table that we didn't believe," Esper said. Lara Seligman ✔@laraseligman Just in: Responding to questions about a reported letter from TF-Iraq @EsperDoD says there has been "no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq." Says he has seen the letter but doesn't know where it came from. CJCS Gen. Milley notes it is not signed. 273 3:06 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 273 people are talking about this Lara Seligman ✔@laraseligman Replying to @laraseligman @EsperDoD In response to reports that killing Suilemani was a throwaway option DOD didn't think Trump would choose, Esper says "We didn’t put any option on the table that we didn’t believe." DOD presented pros and cons, costs and benefits of each option. 51 3:12 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 28 people are talking about this To sum up: The Pentagon is now denying a letter penned by a brigadier general, which sounds like one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. * * * As it turns out, President Trump's decision to kill Iranian General and revolutionary icon Qasem Suleimani - an attack that millions of Trump's critics warned could start WWIII - might have given the US exactly the cover it needs to pull out of Iraq, once and for all. In a letter from Marine Corps Brig. Gen. William H. Seely III, obtained by AFP whose authenticity has since been confirmed by both US and Iraqi defense officials, the US Army informed Iraq that it is "preparing for onward movement" out of respect for Iraq's "sovereign decision to order our departure." Troops will be re-positioned within the country as they prepare for withdrawal. NEVER MISS THE NEWS THAT MATTERS MOST ZEROHEDGE DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX Receive a daily recap featuring a curated list of must-read stories. Full letter text below: sLTG Abdul Amir Deputy Director, Combined Joint Operations Baghdad Iraq - Ministry of Defense Your Excellency, Sir, in due deference to the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, and as requested by the Iraqi Parliament and the Prime Minister, CJTF-OIR will be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement. In order to conduct this task, Coalition Forces are required to take certain measures to ensure that the movement out of Iraq is conducted in a safe and efficient manner. During this time, there will be an increase in helicopter travel in and around the International Zone (IZ) of Baghdad. This increased traffic will include CH47, VH-00, and AH-64 security escort helicopters. Coalition Forces will take appropriate measures to minimize and mitigate the disturbance to the public. In addition, we will conduct these operations during hours of darkness to help alleviate any perception that we may be bringing more Coalition Forces into the IZ. As we begin implementing this next phase of operations, I wish to reiterate the value of our friendship and partnership. We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure. Very Respectfully, WILLIAM H. SEELY III Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps Commanding General, TF-Iraq Yesterday, Iraqi lawmakers voted to expel foreign troops from the country during an emergency parliamentary session. Interim Iraqi prime minister, Adil Abdul Mahdi, stressed during the session, that while the US government notified the Iraqi military of the planned strike on Soleimani, his government denied Washington permission to continue with the operation. In a meeting Monday, Mahdi, a caretaker prime minister who said in November he would resign, told US Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller that the US and Iraq needed to cooperate "to implement the withdrawal of foreign forces in accordance with the decision of the Iraqi parliament," according to a statement from the PM's office that was cited by the Washington Post. Though the Iraq war 'officially' ended in 2011, thousands of coalition troops stuck around. Their numbers increased following the rise of ISIS in the region. Ending the US troop presence in Iraq has been a longtime goal of non-interventionists like Ron Paul and his son, Rand. That said, even without troops in Iraq, the US will still have plenty of capacity to bully Iran, and other other regional powers. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley and CIA director Gina Haspel are expected to brief the lawmakers on the situation early this week. For some unexplained reason, members of the Dem-controlled House will also attend a separate briefing (probably to go over all the possible ways that Trump's decision to kill General Suleimani could lead to the start of WWIII). Of course, Trump has gone back on promises to pull troops before (remember Syria?), and, as we noted just moments earlier, other reports claim thousands of Marines are headed toward Iraq as we speak. In any event, over the past few years, Trump has become an expert at managing public opinion - after all he singlehandedly tweeted the market to new all time highs - and it's possible that this is simply more rhetoric. On the other hand, if the troops really do come home, it would beg the question: Was Trump playing 5-D chess after all? 2790 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Officiallytook Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 I like this too😁 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb57 Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 This BG Seely is probably an Obama supporter and drafted the letter to confuse the whole situation. Hopefully Trump will fire him and toss his commission in the garbage 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fancy Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 1 hour ago, blueskyline said: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-army-tells-iraq-it-preparing-move-out...... Chaos: Pentagon Denies "Poorly Worded" Iraq Withdrawal Letter, Esper Says "No Decision To Leave Iraq, Period" by Tyler Durden Mon, 01/06/2020 - 16:17 7 SHARES TwitterFacebookRedditEmailPrint Update 2 (4:30pmET): In the latest update to her stream of tweets from the press conference, McClatchy reporter Tara Copp added that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Milley joined Esper during the press pow pow to confirm that the letter's publication was "a mistake." He added that it was "poorly worded" and "had not been signed," details that were apparently overlooked during the initial press reports. Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp MORE BREAKING: @thejointstaff Gen. Milley came back to brief us again after looking at the letter. "It was a mistake," he said. Milley said it was a draft, poorly worded, and had not been signed. It was being worked w/ Iraqis. Bottom Line: US troops ARE NOT leaving, he said. https://twitter.com/TaraCopp/status/1214291544553017346 … Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp BREAKING: @EsperDoD says memo on withdrawal is not accurate “there’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq.” 458 3:25 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 596 people are talking about this So the letter was "genuine," but sent out by mistake, according to both Esper and now Milley. zerohedge@zerohedge *U.S. LETTER TO IRAQ SENT MISTAKENLY, GENERAL MILLEY SAYS what? 732 3:33 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 383 people are talking about this Looks like somebody has some explaining to do..... Update (4:05pmET): Despite the fact that news outlets have circulated a photo of the memo and cited several sources testifying to its accuracy, Defense Secretary Esper told reporters Monday afternoon that the memo was "not accurate" and that "there's been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq...we've issued no plans to leave." Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp BREAKING: @EsperDoD says memo on withdrawal is not accurate “there’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq.” 2,295 3:03 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 2,381 people are talking about this Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp Replying to @TaraCopp Esper adds that his staff is “trying to figure out” what memo is “there are no plans to leave” - may reflect repositioning, but not a withdrawal 521 3:05 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 310 people are talking about this Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp Also, critically, @EsperDoD says US forces will “follow the laws of armed conflict” regarding the protection of cultural sites 308 3:07 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 164 people are talking about this Reporters from CBS and other outlets quickly confirmed McClatchy reporter Tara Copp's reporting (Esper apparently made the statement during a press gaggle Monday afternoon). Others reported that Esper denied an NYT report claiming that assassinating Suleimani was intended as a "throwaway option" when it was presented to President Trump. "We didn't put any option on the table that we didn't believe," Esper said. Lara Seligman ✔@laraseligman Just in: Responding to questions about a reported letter from TF-Iraq @EsperDoD says there has been "no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq." Says he has seen the letter but doesn't know where it came from. CJCS Gen. Milley notes it is not signed. 273 3:06 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 273 people are talking about this Lara Seligman ✔@laraseligman Replying to @laraseligman @EsperDoD In response to reports that killing Suilemani was a throwaway option DOD didn't think Trump would choose, Esper says "We didn’t put any option on the table that we didn’t believe." DOD presented pros and cons, costs and benefits of each option. 51 3:12 PM - Jan 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 28 people are talking about this To sum up: The Pentagon is now denying a letter penned by a brigadier general, which sounds like one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. * * * As it turns out, President Trump's decision to kill Iranian General and revolutionary icon Qasem Suleimani - an attack that millions of Trump's critics warned could start WWIII - might have given the US exactly the cover it needs to pull out of Iraq, once and for all. In a letter from Marine Corps Brig. Gen. William H. Seely III, obtained by AFP whose authenticity has since been confirmed by both US and Iraqi defense officials, the US Army informed Iraq that it is "preparing for onward movement" out of respect for Iraq's "sovereign decision to order our departure." Troops will be re-positioned within the country as they prepare for withdrawal. NEVER MISS THE NEWS THAT MATTERS MOST ZEROHEDGE DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX Receive a daily recap featuring a curated list of must-read stories. Full letter text below: sLTG Abdul Amir Deputy Director, Combined Joint Operations Baghdad Iraq - Ministry of Defense Your Excellency, Sir, in due deference to the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, and as requested by the Iraqi Parliament and the Prime Minister, CJTF-OIR will be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement. In order to conduct this task, Coalition Forces are required to take certain measures to ensure that the movement out of Iraq is conducted in a safe and efficient manner. During this time, there will be an increase in helicopter travel in and around the International Zone (IZ) of Baghdad. This increased traffic will include CH47, VH-00, and AH-64 security escort helicopters. Coalition Forces will take appropriate measures to minimize and mitigate the disturbance to the public. In addition, we will conduct these operations during hours of darkness to help alleviate any perception that we may be bringing more Coalition Forces into the IZ. As we begin implementing this next phase of operations, I wish to reiterate the value of our friendship and partnership. We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure. Very Respectfully, WILLIAM H. SEELY III Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps Commanding General, TF-Iraq Yesterday, Iraqi lawmakers voted to expel foreign troops from the country during an emergency parliamentary session. Interim Iraqi prime minister, Adil Abdul Mahdi, stressed during the session, that while the US government notified the Iraqi military of the planned strike on Soleimani, his government denied Washington permission to continue with the operation. In a meeting Monday, Mahdi, a caretaker prime minister who said in November he would resign, told US Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller that the US and Iraq needed to cooperate "to implement the withdrawal of foreign forces in accordance with the decision of the Iraqi parliament," according to a statement from the PM's office that was cited by the Washington Post. Though the Iraq war 'officially' ended in 2011, thousands of coalition troops stuck around. Their numbers increased following the rise of ISIS in the region. Ending the US troop presence in Iraq has been a longtime goal of non-interventionists like Ron Paul and his son, Rand. That said, even without troops in Iraq, the US will still have plenty of capacity to bully Iran, and other other regional powers. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley and CIA director Gina Haspel are expected to brief the lawmakers on the situation early this week. For some unexplained reason, members of the Dem-controlled House will also attend a separate briefing (probably to go over all the possible ways that Trump's decision to kill General Suleimani could lead to the start of WWIII). Of course, Trump has gone back on promises to pull troops before (remember Syria?), and, as we noted just moments earlier, other reports claim thousands of Marines are headed toward Iraq as we speak. In any event, over the past few years, Trump has become an expert at managing public opinion - after all he singlehandedly tweeted the market to new all time highs - and it's possible that this is simply more rhetoric. On the other hand, if the troops really do come home, it would beg the question: Was Trump playing 5-D chess after all? 2790 2 hours ago, 6ly410 said: Trump administration drafting possible sanctions against Iraq https://www.stripes.com/news/us/trump-administration-drafting-possible-sanctions-against-iraq-1.613751 President Donald Trump attends a ceremony at the White House in Washington on Oct. 30, 2019. On Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, Trump warned that economic sanctions may be imposed on Iraq "if there's any hostility, that they do anything we think is inappropriate." CARLOS BONGIOANNI/STARS AND STRIPES By JEFF STEIN AND JOSH DAWSEY | The Washington Post | Published: January 6, 2020 WASHINGTON — Senior administration officials have begun drafting sanctions against Iraq after President Donald Trump publicly threatened the country with economic penalties if it proceeded to expel U.S. troops, according to three people briefed on the planning. The Treasury Department and White House would likely play a lead role if the sanctions are implemented, the officials said. Such a step would represent a highly unusual move against a foreign ally that the United States has spent almost two decades and hundreds of billions of dollars supporting. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations, stressed that talks were preliminary and that no final decision has been made on whether to impose the sanctions. One of the officials said the plan was to wait "at least a little while" on the sanctions decision in order to see whether Iraqi officials followed through on their threat to push U.S. troops out of the country. Sanctions are a type of economic penalty that the White House can use to try and isolate and penalize a person, company or government. For example, the White House could impose sanctions in a way that prohibits American businesses from working with Iraqi businesses, cutting people or companies off from the U.S. economy and financial sector. The discussions about possible sanctions are part of a spiraling White House scramble to deal with the aftermath of Trump's decision to kill Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani last week. Trump has floated multiple scenarios, both in terms of a military response and an economic response, aimed at both Iran and Iraq depending on how they decide to react. On Sunday, in response to the killing, Iraq's parliament voted to expel American troops from the country. Trump responded quickly by saying he could impose "very big sanctions" on Iraq. If American troops are forced out of Iraq, Trump said, "We will charge [Iraq] sanctions like they've never seen before, ever. It'll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame." Trump added that sanctions would be imposed on Iraq "if there's any hostility, that they do anything we think is inappropriate." He also demanded that Iraq reimburse the United States billions of dollars for investments made in an air base there as a precursor for any troops leaving. Trump's public broadside against Iraq, and the private, internal planning about how to proceed, comes as tensions in the Middle East reach a fever pitch over the U.S. killing of Soleimani. Broad confusion remains over how the U.S. will respond to those demands. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday that the U.S. has not decided to leave Iraq, after a letter surfaced in which the U.S. military said to Iraqi officials that U.S. forces would be relocating "to prepare for onward movement." Some experts say it would be difficult if not impossible to implement punitive sanctions against Iraq without inadvertently hurting American interests, given the extensive links between the two nations forged through 17 years of war. Thousands of American troops have died fighting the war in Iraq, and the U.S. has spent more than $1 trillion on that conflict. "I'm astounded by what's even being discussed," said Peter Kucik, who served in the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which implements sanctions policy, under the Bush and Obama administrations. "You don't typically use force against your allies. We are threatening to use extreme coercive policy tools against countries with whom we are allied." The president likely has the legal basis to unilaterally impose the sanctions on Iraq, said Erich Ferrari, an attorney who specializes in U.S. sanctions law. "But I think it sets a bad precedent," Ferrari said. "At a minimum, it's disrespectful to their sovereignty to say: 'If you're going to make us leave, we'll impose harsh economic punishments on We need the youth of Iraq to continue to rise up bring to the Parliament a person that speaks for the people of Iraq and not the "government" someone that speaks for them. DV we're at a major turning point 3 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinarham Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 All this murky news is tantamount to a news blackout . Also ,is that general Miley Cyrus ? I don't understand why we are not hearing from any spokesperson representing the geniune protesters in this carfuffle . Also ,news of ongoing protests has practically disappeared. It is hard to believe that the geniune protesters have just up and gone . They are in "Give me liberty or give me death! " stance , and have the power to eventually reclaim their country . 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Half Crazy Runner Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 17 hours ago, Calijim said: Are we using “Iraqi speek” here . 😆😆😆😆 I noticed that too 😆 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinarham Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 It was reported in Bloomberg News that the geniune protesters and Iranian backed crowds following Soimaini's funeral procession clashed together with many casualties reported . The procession stopped and withdrew from it's intended destination . The geniune protester have not given up ! 6 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6ly410 Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) Edited January 7, 2020 by 6ly410 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6ly410 Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fast4u2c Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 23 hours ago, soon said: no more billions of dollars for lran & the fest of the thugs to get thier hands on. This is very bad news..IMO Iran will now be able to take over Iraq and that is the end of any monetary reform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fancy Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 We're staying in Iraq. That vote yesterday was from the only group to show up to vote, the Iranian Shias, who of course want us out. The other groups didn't even show up, which says alot, most want us there. Thugs mentioned that it's the largest base we have, or did I dream that up. I agree with the silence of late, media black out I guess. We don't know what we don't know. 3 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinarham Posted January 8, 2020 Report Share Posted January 8, 2020 If they didn't show up ,they didn't vote ,so that's good 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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