FCH1962: The U.S. military is supposed to be protecting the Green Zone, and we can’t even protect our own Embassy?? What’s going on?? The Iraqi’s better get their priorities straight…… IMO!

Frank26: Friend of KTFA you study with us for a reason and the reason is the truth allow me to tell you something our firefly reported this morning about the greens on invasion and they told me it is mainly all Iranian jerks that enter the green zone within moments the green zone was flooded with Iraqi military troops and the coward Iranian jerks split they took off yes there was damage but more damage to their EGO and PRIDE !!! I talk less right now with strong reason and may I suggest like I told you stop paying attention to the media. I will talk more today in premium God bless you all Frank 26

Ringer1:  Frank r u or will u do a ub2b and explain if these events r going 2 delay our investment

Frank26:  THURSDAY … THROUGHOUT THE DAY. LOOK FOR 3 UB2B’S ON THURSDAY … THROUGHOUT THE DAY. 

Doodlebug:  PRESIDENT TRUMP 5 minutes ago:

“To those many millions of people in Iraq who want freedom and who don’t want to be dominated and controlled by Iran, this is your time!“

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Don961:  Death to America’: Protests outside US embassy in Iraq have Iran written all over them

by Kaylee McGhee

 | December 31, 2019 11:10 AM

 The situation in Iraq is disintegrating, and it has Iran’s meddling written all over it.
Iraqi protesters broke into the U.S. embassy in Baghdad today, lit fires inside, and then withdrew, chanting “Death to America!” and vowing to camp outside the compound indefinitely until the United States withdraws its forces from Iraq.

The Iraqi protesters are responding to a U.S. airstrike against an Iranian-backed Shiite militia, the Kataib Hezbollah militia, which killed at least 25 of the group’s members and wounded more than 20 along the Iraq-Syria border.

The U.S. airstrike was a forceful, defensive response to Tehran after the Kataib Hezbollah militia had carried out a missile attack on an Iraqi military base last week, killing an American contractor and wounding American and Iraqi service members. President Trump made it clear that the U.S. will not sit idly by as Iran attempts to extend its imperialism into the region. That message was clearly necessary given Iran’s growing hostility toward a U.S. presence in Iraq.

But the protests outside the U.S. embassy in Baghdad seem to be another Iranian maneuver to stoke anti-American sentiment in Iraq. The Iraqi government has made it clear that the U.S. military presence in the region is welcome and necessary despite its unpopularity. Former National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Twitter that this display is “a sign of Iranian control over Shia militia groups, not a sign of Iraqi anti-Americanism.”

It’s likely that the protesters outside the U.S. embassy are not typical Iraqis. They are Iranian sympathizers tied to Iran’s militias in the region, although it’s possible that they could also be joined by Iraqi nationalists who would like to see the U.S. gone. This makes the situation all the more combustible. Iran is sending a message to the U.S. that it will not give up its foothold in Iraq, and the U.S. has responded in turn, exacerbating tensions that could explode at any moment.

Trump warned Iraq that its forces must protect the U.S. embassy. Hopefully, the Iraqis will dissolve the protests without any bloodshed. But even if this occurs, it is now clear that Iran and the U.S. are rushing toward a head-on collision — a trajectory that must be addressed if our presence in the Middle East is to continue.    LINK

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Don961:  The Pentagon: We respect Iraqi sovereignty, and we cannot be deterred from exercising our right to self-defense

The Pentagon announced Monday that the United States respects Iraqi sovereignty, while noting that it cannot be deterred from exercising its right to self-defense.

The ministry said in a statement, “The coalition forces supporting the Operation Solid Resolve are present in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government to ensure the permanent defeat of ISIS and provide advice and assistance to the Iraqi security forces.”

“The United States and its coalition partners fully respect Iraqi sovereignty, and support Iraq to be a strong and independent country,” she said, noting that “the United States cannot be deterred from exercising its right to self-defense.”

She added, “The attacks of the Hezbollah Brigades resulted in the injury of many members of the Internal Security Forces,” explaining that “both Minister Mark Esber and Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi have expressed their commitment to the necessity of stopping these attacks on the Iraqi security forces and the forces of Operation Solid Resolve once and for all.” “.

She stressed the need “for Iran and its proxy forces in the Hezbollah brigades to stop their attacks on the United States and coalition forces and respect Iraq’s sovereignty to prevent any further defensive actions by American forces,” according to the statement.

And US Defense Secretary Mark Esber announced earlier today, Monday, that the United States has taken aggressive measures against a group sponsored by Iran, while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed that “Washington will not stand idly by before the measures taken by Iran, which would expose American men and women at risk. “

2019 – 12 – 30    link

Don961:  Agreement on “direct lines” .. Trump calls Abdel Mahdi and the latter explains the embassy’s situation and talks about Tehran

2019-12-31

The media office of the resigned prime minister released today, Tuesday, a detail of a phone call between Abdel-Mahdi and US President Donald Trump.

“Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi received a phone call at 19:30 from US President Donald Trump, who inquired about the situation in Iraq and the developments surrounding the US embassy in Baghdad,” the office said in a statement. The Prime Minister explained that it came after the recent painful events and that he had already explained – two days ago – to the US Secretary of Defense, exploring the seriousness of its consequences.

The American Embassy

The Prime Minister stated that the Iraqi security forces continue to fulfill their duty to protect the American embassy and other diplomatic missions and representations.

Speaking of the regional situation, the Prime Minister affirmed that the Iraqi government has always sought to maintain good relations with neighboring countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as friendly western countries, led by the United States of America.

Conditions deteriorate

He added, but the situation deteriorated due to the differences between the two sides and that Iraq wants to be a country of negotiation and calm to remove the danger of war from Iraq and everyone.

Abdul-Mahdi said to the American President: You remember that you do not want war and we hear from the Iranian leaders a similar position, and Iraq has stressed the importance of negotiation or at least reaching realistic arrangements and agreements to calm down.

Direct lines

President Trump stressed his confidence in the importance of the role and leadership of Iraq and what it can play in this regard, and the two Presidents agreed to keep direct lines open between them to follow up on the matter.

US Secretary of State Pompeo and his assistant, David Hill, had contacted Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to follow the latest developments in the country.    link