Nadene Goldfoot
USA has warned Iraq that Israel will strike militias that seek to aid Hezbollah !
Envoy and lawyer Tom Barrack meets newly reelected PM in Baghdad, reportedly tells him to crack down on Iran-backed groups and stay out of regional conflicts.
Barrack has for decades been a close friend of and fundraiser for U.S. President Donald Trump, representing him in television news appearances. He was senior advisor to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and served as the chairman of his Inaugural Committee. In Trump's second administration, Barrack serves as the United States Ambassador to Turkey, an enemy of Israel.
On July 21, Barrack spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention. In September 2016, Barrack helped set up a meeting between Trump and the Emir of Qatar in Trump Tower, although, as Kilpatrick noted, none of the investments brought in from the gulf by Barrack's firm in the two years following that meeting came from Qatar. After Trump became president, Barrack continued to act as a middleman between him and Arab princes.
- Iraqi Position: The Iraqi government under Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani has stated it will not be drawn into any conflict between Israel and Iran and will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for attacks against other nations. However, the government struggles to control all Iran-backed armed groups within its borders. Iraq became immersed with Hezbollah primarily after the 2003 U.S. invasion, when Iran tasked Hezbollah with training and equipping Iraqi Shiite militias to fight U.S. forces, leading to the formation of elite units like Hezbollah Unit 3800 and the creation of groups like Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH). Hezbollah provided crucial combat expertise, sophisticated Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and tactical skills, deepening Iran's regional influence through these Iraqi proxies and creating a new network to counter American presence in Iraq. Saddam Hussein, President/Dictator of Iraq (1937-2006) was the President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003, leading Iraq in the devastating Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) against Iran, which he invaded. He rose to power in Iraq and ruled as a dictator before being overthrown by the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
- The United States' 2003 invasion of Iraq was officially justified by the George W. Bush administration on the grounds of disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), ending Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and promoting democracy in the region. These rationales have been the subject of significant debate and scrutiny since the invasion, as no WMD stockpiles were found after the war. If you forgot, Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq from 1979 until he was overthrown in the U.S.-led invasion in 2003; he was captured hiding within Iraq in December 2003 and later executed in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2006.
- Regional Conflict: Iraq remains a flashpoint in the wider conflict between Israel and Iran. Iran-backed militias operating within Iraq have previously launched attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets and continue to pose a threat to Israel's security, leading the Israeli army to remain on high alert.
- Iraq and Israel currently have no formal diplomatic relations and remain in a state of hostility, with ongoing regional tensions largely driven by Iran's influence in Iraq and the broader Middle Eastern crisis. Hezbollah's new leader and former deputy, Sheikh Naim Qassem, attends a memorial service for slain Hezbollah members, in Beirut's southern suburbs on June 19.
Mohamed Azakir/Reuters - Hezbollah is currently led by Naim Qassem, who became Secretary-General in October 2024 after the death of Hassan Nasrallah, with the Shura Council electing him to oversee the group's military and political wings, continuing its established policies. Naim Qassem, a veteran cleric and former deputy, took over leadership after Hassan Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli airstrike in September 2024.
