Kerry Pleads With Iraq To Stop Iranian Overflights Of Military Supplies To To Syria

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (2nd R) walks across the tarmac of Baghdad International Airport as he prepares to board an aircraft out of the Iraqi capital March 24, 2013. Kerry made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday and said he told Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of his concern about Iranian flights over Iraq carrying arms to Syria. REUTERS/Jason Reed

Kerry Presses For End To Iran's Shipments To Syria Over Iraq -- CNN

Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday in Baghdad that he pressed Iraq's leaders to take steps prohibiting Iranian planes from delivering arms to Syria's besieged government, which is battling rebels backed by financial support from the American government.

Iranian planes must fly through Iraq's airspace in order to reach Syria with deliveries of weapons and supplies. The flights are occurring almost daily, according to a senior State Department official accompanying Kerry on his stop in Baghdad.

"Anything that supports President Assad is problematic," Kerry told reporters, referring to Syria's leader. "And I made it very clear to the prime minister that the overflights from Iran are, in fact, helping to sustain President Assad and his regime."

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More News On US Secretary of State Kerry Pressing Iraq To End Iran's Shipments To Syria

Despite Sec. Kerry's warning, no agreement yet between Iraq and U.S. over Iran flights -- CBS
Kerry tells Iraq not to allow Iranian overflights to Syria -- CBC/AP

Kerry: Iraq helping Syria’s Assad by allowing arms flow -- Washington Post
Kerry Tells Iraq to Help Stop Arms Shipments to Syria -- New York Times
John Kerry lobbies Iraq to block Iranian flights -- The Independent
Kerry warns Iraq PM on Iran-Syria flights -- The Australian
Kerry Visits Iraq in Push to Halt Iran Flights Aiding Syria -- Bloomberg Businessweek
John Kerry urges Iraq to help stop Iranian arms shipments to Syria -- The Guardian
Kerry Presses Maliki to Block Iranian Shipments to Syria -- Voice of America
Kerry wants Iraq to stop arms shipments to Syria. Why would Iraq agree? -- Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor

My Comment: The Iraqis are not going to comply .... they do not want a radical Sunni dominated government next door that in the end may support radical Sunnis in Iraq itself.

A Terrorist Responsible For The Murder Of Americans Walks Out Of An Iraqi Jail And Into The Hands Of hezbollah

A U.S. solider shows a picture of Ali Mussa Daqduq (L) during a news conference at the heavily fortified Green Zone area in Baghdad July 2, 2007. REUTERS/Wathiq Khuzaie/Pool

Iraq Releases Suspected Hezbollah Operative Ali Mussa Daqduq -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iraqi authorities on Friday released suspected Hezbollah operative Ali Mussa Daqduq who was accused of killing American troops, his lawyer said, adding he had made his way to Lebanon.

"There was no reason for his detention. last night the decision was made to release him. He is out now and arrived in Beirut two hours ago," Abdulalmehdi al-Mutairi told Reuters by phone.

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My Comment: This mass murderer should have been jailed in Guantanamo. As for U.S. - Iraq relations .... more proof on how these ties are slowly unraveling.

Is Iraq A Strategic Debacle For The U.S.?

Kuwaiti soldiers look on as the last U.S. convoy crosses the border into Kuwait from Iraq, Dec. 18, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Jordan Johnson

Losing Iraq -- Frederick W. Kagan & Kimberly Kagan, NRO

We face a strategic debacle.

President Obama announced the “end of America’s war in Iraq” on December 14, 2011, with the words, “We’re leaving behind a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government that was elected by its people. We’re building a new partnership between our nations.” These were the conditions that he felt allowed him to describe the completion of America’s military withdrawal as a “moment of success.” Nine months later, Iraq does not seem like a success, even in these extremely limited terms. It is neither sovereign nor stable nor self-reliant. Its government does not reflect the will of its people; Sunni officials have been marginalized and, in some cases, driven out of office. And it is not a partner of the United States on any of the key issues in the region: From its evasion of economic sanctions on Iran to its support for the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad, Iraq stands in Tehran’s camp, not Washington’s. The reality is that the United States has not achieved its national-security objectives in Iraq and is not likely to do so.

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My Comment: What's my take .... there has never been any good options when it came to leaving Iraq. Sectarian tensions and conflict, a culture of corruption, pervasive poverty and a dysfunctional government .... leaving the country was the best of all available options .... and it was also the determined goal of President Obama from day one. I know that many are arguing that a certain level of US forces should have remained .... 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers .... but I fail to see what difference it would have made. Iraq is a huge and diverse country .... any U.S. presence .... even a token one .... would only have served to be a rallying cry for extremists and a target for the more militant ones .... and in the end, would not have made any difference on the direction that Iraq is going now .... whatever that is.

Is Iraq A Strategic Failure For The U.S.?

U.S. and Kuwaiti troops unite to close the gate between Kuwait and Iraq after the last military convoys passed through, Dec. 18, 2011, signaling the end of Operation New Dawn. U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Jordan Johnson

In U.S. Exit From Iraq, Failed Efforts And Challenges -- New York Times

The request was an unusual one, and President Obama himself made the confidential phone call to Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president.

Marshaling his best skills at persuasion, Mr. Obama asked Mr. Talabani, a consummate political survivor, to give up his post. It was Nov. 4, 2010, and the plan was for Ayad Allawi to take Mr. Talabani’s place.

With Mr. Allawi, a secular Shiite and the leader of a bloc with broad Sunni support, the Obama administration calculated, Iraq would have a more inclusive government and would check the worrisome drift toward authoritarianism under Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki.

But Mr. Obama did not make the sale.

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My Comment: Iraq is evolving into a strategic failure for the U.S. .... especially with Iran now positioning themselves to step into the vacuum. Am I surprised by this development .... no. The American public (myself included) are tired of this never-ending conflict .... and if Iran wants to get into the Iraqi quagmire .... I will now make the prediction that they will be disappointed.

America's Allies Feel Abandon in Iraq

Iraqi Sheikh to Obama: We Miss You! -- Eli Lake, Daily Beast

As a leader of the Anbar Awakening, Sheikh Ahmad Abu-Risha helped turn the tide in the Iraq war. Today, he tells Eli Lake, the U.S. has turned its back on its one-time allies. Where’s the love, Mr. President?

A little more than four years ago in western Iraq, then-Senator Barack Obama met for 90 minutes with a group of Arab sheikhs, allies of the U.S. military in the war against al Qaeda. Known as the Anbar Awakening, the tribal leaders are credited by the Marine Corps’ own official historian with helping turn the tide of the Iraq War and creating the conditions on the ground for the country’s fragile government to survive. During the meeting, the future president assured the group that there would be a long-term partnership between America and Iraq, according to two of the sheikhs who were there and a U.S. translator in the meeting.

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My Comment: It is not the first time that a U.S. President has failed in keeping to a promise.

U.S Scales Back It`s Training Program For Iraq`s Police Force

Iraqi women marched in Baghdad on Monday as they became the first female graduates of Iraq's police officer academy. Joao Silva for The New York Times

US Cuts Multi-Billion Dollar Training Programme For Iraq Police -- The Telegraph

The US is believed to be drastically cutting back a multi-billion dollar training programme for Iraqi police that was supposed to be central to its post-war civilian legacy in the country.

Original plans for 350 American law enforcement officers to carry out the scheme, which were promptly scaled back, have now been cut again to just 50 officers, according to The New York Times.

In a statement, the State Department did not dispute the figures but denied a claim that officials were considering scrapping the programme altogether by the end of the year.

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My Comment: Talk about cutting and running.

U.S. State Department Plans For Iraq Are Starting To Unravel

U.S. Scales Back Diplomacy In Iraq Amid Fiscal And Security Concerns -- New York Times

BAGHDAD — Beyond the final withdrawal of troops that President Obama announced Friday, America’s fiscal troubles are dictating a drastic scaling back of plans for diplomatic, economic and cultural programs once deemed vital to steadying Iraq, building a long-term alliance and prying the country from Iran’s tightening embrace.

As recently as this summer, the State Department had planned to establish a 700-person consulate in the still-restive northern city of Mosul. And as recently as the spring, the United States was moving ahead with plans for a consulate in the ethnically divided and potentially explosive city of Kirkuk.

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My Comment: Poor planning. Lack of resources. Where is the leadership (i.e. Hillary Clinton)? The list of snafus are growing .... and with the US military departure date fast approaching .... I doubt that they will be ready.

U.S> Training Of Iraq's Police Forces Slammed By Watchdog

'Bottomless pit': New police graduates march during a graduation ceremony in Baghdad

Iraq Police Training Programme A 'Bottomless Pit' That Threatens To Swallow Millions In U.S. Tax Dollars, Watchdog Warns -- Daily Mail

* Iraqi authorities suggest the money would be better spent on something for the American people

The programme to train Iraqi police could end up with U.S. tax dollars being thrown into a 'bottomless pit', a government watchdog warned today.

The State Department's flagship Iraq programme lacks focus and may not even be wanted by Iraqis, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction has found.

The report comes at a crucial time for the department, as it assumes the burden for securing U.S.-Iraqi ties as American forces leave by the end of this year.

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More News On The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Condemning US Training of Iraq's Police Forces

US Iraqi police funding condemned -- BBC
Review slams US training of Iraqi police -- CBS/AP
Inspector General: U.S. wasting cash in Iraq -- Politico
US police training lacks Iraq backing: watchdog -- AFP
Watchdog slams U.S. Iraqi police training -- UPI

My Comment: Training Iraq's police forces falls under the purview of the US State Department .... the same organization that is suppose to replace the US military when they are gone at the end of this year. Hmmmm .... this is already not looking good.

U.S. State Department Envoy Goes Rogue By Publishing A Book

Peter Van Buren, a career foreign service officer, wrote a critical book about his year in Iraq as the leader of a provincial reconstruction team. Shannon Jensen for The New York Times

U.S. Envoy Puts Match to Bridges With Iraq Tell-All -- New York Times

PETER VAN BUREN, an American diplomat who speaks Japanese, Mandarin and “some Korean,” though no Arabic, did a very undiplomatic thing when the State Department sent him to Iraq for a year. He wrote a book.

The result is one diplomat’s darkly humorous and ultimately scathing assault on just about everything the military and the State Department have done — or tried to do — since the invasion of Iraq. The title says it all: “We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People” (Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt & Company).

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My Comment: The timing for releasing this book is perfect in view of what will be happening in Iraq in the next few months.

U.S. State Department Getting Ready For Iraq

CONTINUING TO SERVE
With their hands raised, 126 U.S. service members rehearse before a mass re-enlistment ceremony on Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Oct. 5, 2011. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo

State Department Readies Iraq Operation, Its Biggest Since Marshall Plan -- Washington Post

The State Department is racing against an end-of-year deadline to take over Iraq operations from the U.S. military, throwing up buildings and marshalling contractors in its biggest overseas operation since the effort to rebuild Europe after World War II.

While attention in Washington and Baghdad has centered on the number of U.S. troops that may remain in Iraq, they will be dwarfed by an estimated 16,000 civilians under the American ambassador — the size of an Army division.

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My Comment: The U.S. State Department (and the Iraqis) better not screw it up .... because there is no fall-back plan if things get 'hairy'.

U.S. Commanders In Iraq Want A Covert War Against Iran

Photograph: Paul O'Driscoll/Exclusive Images

U.S. Commanders Pushing For Permission To Run Covert Ops To Counter Iran -- FOX News

U.S. military commanders and intelligence officers are pushing for greater authority to conduct covert operations to thwart Iranian influence in neighboring Iraq, according to officials quoted Tuesday.

The move comes amid growing concern in the Obama administration about Iran's attempts in recent months to expand its influence in Iraq and the broader Middle East and what it says is Tehran's increased arms smuggling to its allies, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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More News On U.S. Commanders Wanting A Covert War Against Iranian Supported Militants In Iraq

'Hawkish' US eyeing expansion of covert action 'to thwart Iranian influence in Iraq' -- News Track India
U.S. Eyes Covert Plan to Counter Iran in Iraq -- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Commanders Want to Run Covert Ops Against Iran -- Newsroom America

My Comment: This is going to be very difficult thing to do .... especially since there will only be 3,000 troops left in the country by the end of this year.

U.S. Threatens Unilateral Military Action Against Shia Militias

PANETTA IN IRAQ - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks to troops at Camp Victory, Iraq, July 11, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

Panetta Stokes Tensions With Iran Over Attacks -- The Independent

The United States could take unilateral military action against Shia militias armed by Iran if they continued to attack US troops, Leon Panetta, the new US Defence Secretary, said on a visit to Iraq yesterday. The threat marks an escalation in the long-running battle for influence in Iraq between Washington and Tehran that has gone on since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

The US has long accused Iran of supplying weapons to Shia militia groups, which it holds responsible for attacks in which some 18 US soldiers have died since the beginning of June. Washington would also like to keep between 8,500 and 10,000 troops in Iraq after the end of the year, despite an agreement for all US soldiers to be out by that date.

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My Comment: Tough words from the Secretary of Defense .... I hope he backs it up.

Iraq Ready To Buy U.S. Jet Fighters

F-16s

U.S. Set To Sell Fighters To Iraq -- Wall Street Journal

Iraq has quietly started negotiations to buy U.S. fighter jets and air-defense systems worth billions of dollars, a purchase Washington hopes will help counter Iranian influences and cement long-term ties with Baghdad after American troops pull out.

Baghdad had frozen plans to buy 18 advanced U.S. F-16 fighters earlier this year after the Arab Spring protests in the region turned its attention to internal stability. Now, senior U.S. and Iraqi officials said Iraq is considering raising its purchase to as many as 36 of the jets.

The decision by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to renew the F-16 talks follows an unexpected surge in government oil revenue, and comes as a Dec. 31 deadline approaches for the departure of the 46,000 remaining U.S. troops from Iraq.

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My Comment: Now we are talking about big money. Rebuilding Iraq's Air Force will take years and tens of billions of dollars .... and it will keep an American presence on the ground (to provide training, maintenance, and security) for just as long.

America Breaks Its Promise To The Iranian Exiles Who Live In Camp Ashraf, Iraq

US Still Fails To Keep Its Word As Further Massacre Looms At Ashraf -- The Telegraph

Pressure is mounting for the US to honour guarantees of safety given to Iranian refugees in Camp Ashraf, writes Christopher Booker.

The US government is so busy trying to do not very much to protect civilians in Libya, that it is doing even less to honour its pledge to protect the 3,400 defenceless Iranian exiles who live in Camp Ashraf in Iraq, the desert town that has been their home for over a decade.

Last week, after visiting Ashraf, UN officials confirmed that 34 of these unarmed civilians had been killed (most of them shot) and 350 wounded in the murderous assault on April 8 by hundreds of armed Iraqis and Iranians, under the personal orders of Iraq’s prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.

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My Comment: Minority groups in the Middle East are witnessing American promises being broken once again. With such a track record, I can only expect such groups to be even more reluctant in the future to give us the intelligence and support that we will require should the need arise. Is this smart .... knowing how messy the Middle East is .... burning our "word and commitment" is probably not the route to go.

So Much For The U.S. Withdrawing From Iraq

The Green Zone in Iraq

Republicans Slam Obama’s Strategy Of Contractors In Iraq, Limits In Libya -- Washington Times

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that the Obama administration’s plan to replace troops in Iraq with private security contractors — what the South Carolina Republican referred to as a “mini State Department army” — puts hard-won American progress in that country at risk.

“The State Department has come to Congress and said, ‘We’re going to need over 50 mine-resistant vehicles. We need a fleet of helicopters and thousands of private security guards. I think that is a losing formula,” he said in an appearance Sunday on CBS‘ “Face the Nation.”

The president has vowed to withdraw most of the estimated 50,000 American troops remaining in Iraq by the end of this year, but Mr. Graham said he would like to see a more phased-in approach, starting with a drop to 10,000 to 15,000 troops in 2012.

Otherwise, he said, the situation could deteriorate and “Iraq could go to hell.”

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My Comment: Goodbye to the old boss .... say hello to the new boss. No details on how large this "State Department Army" will be, but I will not be surprised if it numbers into the thousands. Also no surprise .... the U.S. embassy is getting ready for this increase in responsibility and involvement.

As The U.S. Military Leaves Iraq, The U.S. State Department Moves In

U.S. marines raise the U.S. flag during a formal opening of the new U.S. embassy in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone. Reuters

Top Diplomat Defends Size, Cost Of State Dept. Presence In Iraq -- Washington Post

The top U.S. diplomat in Iraq on Tuesday defended the size and cost of the State Department's operations in that country, telling lawmakers that a significant diplomatic footprint will be necessary after the withdrawal of U.S. troops at the end of this year.

James F. Jeffrey, the U.S. ambassador in Iraq, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that his staff of 8,000 will grow in the coming year to about 17,000 people, the vast majority of whom will be contractors.

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Update: 5,500 Mercs to Protect U.S. Fortresses in Iraq -- The Danger Room

My Comment: The State Department is not the Pentagon and it does not have the resources that the U.S. military have. Will they be able to do accomplish U.S. goals with less .... hmmmm .... I am skeptical.

Vice President Biden Is In Iraq To Discuss US Troop Withdrawals

Vice President Joe Biden (2nd L) is escorted to his vehicle by Pakistan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan (3rd L) upon his arrival to Rawalpindi January 12, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Adrees Latif

Biden Visits Iraq For Talks On Future Relationship -- Washington Post

BAGHDAD - Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad on an unannounced visit early Thursday for talks expected to focus on America's future relationship with Iraq beyond the scheduled December 2011 deadline for the departure of U.S. troops.

Biden will meet with Iraqi leaders for the first time since the formation of a new Iraqi government last month opened the door to discussions on the politically sensitive subject.

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More News On Vice President Biden's Visit To Iraq

Biden and Maliki say they are still committed to troop withdrawal by end of year -- Washington Post
Biden In Baghdad, With Troop Talks On Agenda -- Radio Free Europe
Biden stresses bilateral ties in surprise visit to Iraq -- CNN
Vice President Biden Arrives in Baghdad to Meet with Iraqi Political Leaders -- ABC News
Biden Touches Down in Baghdad; Will Meet with Unity Government -- FOX News
Biden in Iraq for Talks on US Troop Withdrawal -- Voice of America
Vice President Biden flies into Iraq -- Reuters
US Vice President in Iraq for talks on US troops -- Sify News
Biden: Iraq's success in US interest -- Stars And Stripes/AP
Deadly bombs mar Biden's Iraq visit -- Al Jazeera

Remembering Saddam Hussein And His Meeting With US Ambassador To Iraq April Glaspie In 1990

Diplomats Were Misled by Saddam's 'Cordial' Manner -- Bernhard Zand, Spiegel Online

Did one clumsy statement by the US ambassador in Iraq trigger the first Gulf War? The leaked US cables show diplomats failed to pick up signs that Saddam Hussein was preparing to invade Kuwait, and that they painted his regime in a consistently favorable light in the years leading up to the conflict.

On the morning of July 25, 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein called in the US Ambassador to Iraq, April Glaspie. It was her first meeting with Saddam and it lasted two hours. And will likely go down in history as one of the most controversial incidents in American diplomacy.

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My Comment: Going down the memory hole is (at times) interesting. But I always believed that Saddam Hussein was determined to invade Kuwait .... U.S. objections or not. I also believed that he underestimated what would be the response to his invasion .... he probably thought that no one had the guts to stand up to him. We now know that he was completely wrong.

Iraq Commits To Buy 26 Billion Dollars Worth Of Armaments From The US

Iraq to buy $26 billion worth of armaments from United States. © RIA Novosti. Pavel Davydov

Iraq To Buy 26 Billion Dollars Worth Of Armaments From USA -- RIA Novosti

Iraq will buy armaments worth $13 billion from the United States by 2013 and will spend another $13 bn on weapons later, a Baghdad newspaper reported citing an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman.

Al Ittihad quoted Major General Mohammed Al Askari as saying that Iraq has already concluded a contract worth more than $13 bn with the United States.

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My Comment: This is serious money, and will probably keep U.S. defense contractors in the black for the foreseeable future.

Will U.S. Forces Be Entirely Out Of Iraq By The End Of 2011?

Nouri al-Maliki seated in his office. In an interview, he said Iraq would assume responsibility for all its own security by the end of 2011, and would not fall into alignment with Iran. Max Becherer for The Wall Street Journal

Iraq Wants the U.S. Out -- Wall Street Journal

Prime Minister, in Interview, Says Troops Must Leave Next Year as Planned.

BAGHDAD—Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ruled out the presence of any U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of 2011, saying his new government and the country's security forces were capable of confronting any remaining threats to Iraq's security, sovereignty and unity.

Mr. Maliki spoke with The Wall Street Journal in a two-hour interview, his first since Iraq ended nine months of stalemate and seated a new government after an inconclusive election, allowing Mr. Maliki to begin a second term as premier.

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My Comment: I still think it is too early to say when U.S. forces will be entirely out of Iraq. The security situation is still unstable. Iraq's military will need U.S. training and participation for years to come. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is just one man .... other members of his government may have a different opinion on when U.S. soldires should leave.