The Sham War on Terror
Air strikes come as Iraq calls to ditch US dollar
Many observers around the world see a link between the Iraqi Parliament calling for leaving the US Dollar, and the sudden US Air Strikes under the pretense of three dead US Soldiers in Jordan. "Strangely coincidental" they say.
Iraqi parliament calling to ditch US dollar for oil; Days Later, U.S. Air Strikes . . . .
The Finance Committee in the Iraqi parliament made a statement on 31 January calling for the sale of oil in currencies other than the US dollar, aiming to counter US sanctions on the Iraqi banking system. Two days later, U.S. Airstrikes were done on Iraq . . . . and Syria . . . . for retaliation allegedly in connection with the deaths of 3 US Soldiers.
Was it retaliation for those soldiers, or was it a message to the Iraq Parliament about leaving the US Dollar? Maybe both?
“The US Treasury still uses the pretext of money laundering to impose sanctions on Iraqi banks. This requires a national stance to put an end to these arbitrary decisions,” the statement said.
“Imposing sanctions on Iraqi banks undermines and obstructs Central Bank efforts to stabilize the dollar exchange rate and reduce the selling gap between official and parallel rates,” it added.
The Finance Committee affirmed its “rejection of these practices, due to their repercussions on the livelihoods of citizens," and reiterated its "call on the government and the Central Bank of Iraq to take quick measures against the dominance of the dollar, by diversifying cash reserves from foreign currencies.”
Washington imposed sanctions on Iraqi Al-Huda Bank this week, under claims of laundering money for Iran. Several other banks have been hit with similar sanctions over the past year.
The statement came the same day a senior US Treasury official said Washington expects Baghdad to help identify and disrupt the funds of Iran-backed resistance factions in Iraq.
Many observers around the world see a link between the Iraqi Parliament calling for leaving the US Dollar, and the sudden US Air Strikes under the pretense of three dead US Soldiers in Jordan. "Strangely coincidental" they say.
Iraqi Parliament Calling To Ditch US Dollar For Oil Trade
The Finance Committee of the Iraqi Parliament stated that they are calling to ditch the US dollar for oil trade.
To thwart US sanctions on the Iraqi banking system, the Finance Committee of the Iraqi parliament started on January 31st, urging the sale of oil in currencies other than the US dollar.
“The US Treasury still uses the pretext of money laundering to impose sanctions on Iraqi banks. This requires a national stance to put an end to these arbitrary decisions,” the statement said.
“Imposing sanctions on Iraqi banks undermines and obstructs Central Bank efforts to stabilize the dollar exchange rate and reduce the selling gap between official and parallel rates,” it added.
France and Germany will fund India’s urban infrastructure mission after the nations’ previous cooperation on the CITIIS 2.0 program.
The Finance Committee reaffirmed its “call on the government and the Central Bank of Iraq to take quick measures against the dominance of the dollar, by diversifying cash reserves from foreign currencies,” as well as its “rejection of these practices, due to their repercussions on the livelihoods of citizens.”
This week, Washington placed sanctions on Iraq’s Al-Huda Bank because it allegedly laundered money for Iran. Over the past year, similar fines have been imposed on several other institutions.
The declaration was made the same day that a top US Treasury official stated that Washington anticipates Baghdad’s assistance in locating and sabotaging the financial resources of resistance groups in Iraq funded by Iran.
“These are, as a whole, groups that are actively using and abusing Iraq and its financial systems and structure to perpetuate these acts and we have to address that directly. Frankly, I think it is our expectation from Treasury perspective that there is more we can do together to share information and identify exactly how these militia groups are operating here in Iraq,” the official stated.
On January 28, three US soldiers lost their lives in an Iraqi resistance attack close to the Syrian-Jordanian border. After US servicemen were killed, almost daily Iraqi attacks on US outposts in Syria and Iraq were stopped as a result of pressure from the Iraqi government on resistance groups, especially the Kataib Hezbollah faction.
Washington has resisted the Baghdad government’s attempts to discreetly assist the removal of US troops from Iraq and the conversion of the US presence there to an “advisory role.”
The financial system of Iraq is largely dominated by the United States. Baghdad has had difficulty repaying Iran for its large energy obligations as a result of US sanctions.
In addition, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York receives revenue from Iraqi oil sales. Baghdad needs authorization from the US to use these monies.
Recently, the Iraqi government voiced optimism about the de-dollarization process.
According to a government source who spoke with the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on November 14, Iraq is planning to carry out several further economic initiatives to fortify the country’s currency against the US dollar.
The Iraqi government said in May of last year that it would no longer accept US dollars for personal or commercial transactions.
It’s evident that the US dominates the Iraqi economy, and our government doesn’t control or have access to its funds. We think it’s imperative to break free from the dollar’s hegemony, particularly now that it’s being used as a weapon to inflict sanctions on nations. In a special interview conducted last year, Iraqi MP and Finance Committee member Hussein Mouanes stated, “It’s time for Iraq to rely on its local currency.”
Strikes Against Anti-ISIS Militias in Syria and Iraq Prove US War on Terror is a Sham
Dozens of people in Syria and Iraq were killed Saturday morning after the United States fired ‘precision munitions’ into the two countries against 85 targets ranging from command and control and intelligence centers to logistics bases used by anti-ISIS* militias. Sputnik asked a trio of experts about the strikes' implications for the region.
Russia called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Saturday in the wake of what Moscow characterized as a “new blatant act” of US “aggression against sovereign states.”
The strikes, carried out against what the Pentagon characterized as Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force units and “affiliated militia” forces in Syria and Iraq, came after a months-long regional escalation of militia attacks against illegal US bases in Syria and outposts in Iraq, in response to Washington’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. The Pentagon warned of potential strikes against targets inside Iraq and Syria last week after a militia drone attack against Tower 22, a US military outpost in Jordan just across the border from an illegal US base in southern Syria, which killed three American troops and injured 47 others.
Local media estimated that at least 23 people were killed in Syria and 16 in Iraq in Saturday’s attacks, with Damascus and Baghdad blasting Washington for its flagrant violation of the two countries’ sovereignty. Syria’s Foreign Ministry said it was “not surprised” to see American forces attack targets in the country’s east, “where our forces are fighting against the remnants of the ISIS terrorist organization, while the United States is working to revive ISIS terrorist activity.”
Syria’s Ministry of Culture slammed Washington’s aggression as a blatant violation of the Hague Convention, noting that the US strikes included an attack which hit the Citadel of al-Rahba, a regional ancient architectural marvel whose history goes back to the 9th century AD.
Along with the IRGC, Saturday’s strikes targeted the Popular Mobilization Forces, a militia coalition officially affiliated with the Iraqi government which played a key role in defeating ISIS in fierce battles between 2014 and 2017.
US Airstrikes Hit Iranian Targets in Syria and Iraq - CENTCOM
Sham War on Terror
Pointing to the PMF’s history of anti-terrorist operations, retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik that the US military’s strikes are further proof that Washington’s operations in the Middle East are “not really against ISIS.”
“They say they are, but they’re really not. If you look at them, they’ve supported ISIS indirectly. They’ve protected them. Al-Qaeda* as well. They can’t tell the American public that, but look at the weapons they’re using, the extremist groups, look at the conflict in Syria for many years,” the veteran officer said.
“Look at the Mujahideen in Afghanistan as well,” Rasmussen recalled, referring to the militia and terrorist group used by the CIA as a proxy against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
“We’ve kind of nurtured extreme groups for years. And actually, you can even look at western Ukraine – the ultra-right neo-fascist groups there, Banderites essentially. We’ve nurtured them since after World War II. Many different classified CIA projects helped that. I think we use ISIS and al-Qaida to help maintain instability in the region and our potential influence or justification for us to have a presence there to ‘provide stability’. But in actuality, it just doesn't provide stability.
And probably the key source of the instability there is our presence, our illegal presence in Syria and Iraq and the often, frequent escapades of Israel bombing adjacent countries as well as the treatment that they've put the Palestinians through over decades,” he stressed.
Saturday’s strikes signal a “very dangerous escalation” in the region, according to Rasmussen, who pointed out that it could easily grow into a crisis involving Iran, Russia and China.
“Depending on how long they’re going to do the strikes, how often, and how many facilities they're going to bomb – it could escalate. The world is not what it was in 1991 and 2001. It's different now. These militia groups are more coordinated, they're better armed, they're better trained. Iran is not the country it used to be. They've got hypersonic missiles...They’re trying to develop trade and economic growth in this region. This could escalate really bad, and I'm hoping there are some adults in the room in Washington, DC, but I don't think so. I haven't seen any so far,” Rasmussen lamented.
The observer also pointed out the hypocrisy of US efforts to label the PMF as “Iranian-backed militias,” saying that Washington is in no position to accuse others of being foreign-backed.
“These militias are pretty much independent. Okay, they get weapons and things from Iran. Yeah, alright, well who has weapons from the United States? I mean, look around the world. And ISIS has got our weapons and stuff, and Al-Qaeda. We're providing weapons to Israel. So does that mean we're - well, actually, we pretty much are participating in the genocide in Gaza,” Rasmussen summed up.
US Airstrikes Over Eastern Syria Kill Civilian, Military Personnel - Defense Ministry
Clear Attempt to Reassert US Dominance
Saturday’s aggression constituted a “demonstration strike,” with its intention being an attempt by the US “to assert military and security dominance in the Middle East,” Dr. Imad Salamey, an associate professor of political science and international affairs at the Lebanese American University, told Sputnik, adding that unfortunately, he doesn’t expect the crisis to deescalate anytime soon as US forces in the region hunker down.
“While the Iraqi parliament is calling for a US withdrawal, it's premature to expect immediate action,” the academic said. “In fact, considering the current developments, a US military buildup might be more likely in the near future rather than an imminent withdrawal. The situation remains unstable and evolving while the Biden administration needs to demonstrate ‘victory’ rather than defeat as the presidential elections draw near.”
Dr. Muhannad Alazzeh, a former Jordanian Senator and international legal and human rights commissioner, agrees, saying the “whole context” of the attacks relates to domestic considerations in Washington, specifically to Biden seeking “to avoid the Republicans’ rage since they accuse him of ‘being weak and hesitant’ toward Iran in particular when they compare him to his predecessor.”
Iraq denies Washington notified govt prior to deadly overnight attack
The bombing campaign by US warplanes killed at least 16 people in Iraq, including civilians, prompting Baghdad to summon the US envoy to deliver a formal protest
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi on 3 February denied US claims that Washington notified Baghdad before an overnight bombing campaign that killed at least 16 people and injured 25 more.
“The US side deliberately falsified the facts by announcing prior coordination to commit this aggression, which is a false claim aimed at misleading international public opinion and disavowing legal responsibility for this crime by all international laws,” Awadi told reporters on Saturday, adding that the latest US aggression on Iraqi soil “will put security in Iraq and the region on the brink of the abyss.”