Iraq condemns US strikes on militants after an attack on US troops.

 

The damage left over from the strike. Reuters. 

Iraq has condemned an US airstrike on militants after an attack on US troops wounded three soldiers. Reuters. The Iran backed group Kataib Hezbollah said one of their soldiers was killed while 16 more were wounded in the strike near the city of Hila. The strike was in retaliation for a drone strike that had wounded three soldiers. Iraq also criticized Hezbollah for the attack but also criticized the United States. Kataib Hezbollah is under control of Iran's Quds force and was critical in getting Iraq's Prime Minster Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and has had difficulty walking the line between their demands and the demands of the United States. America has 2500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, deployed to fight ISIS. 

My Comment:

Airstrikes targeting Iranian backed militias are nothing new, we have been doing that since the war in Iraq began. And it's also not new that those militias are attacking US troops. Indeed, there were parts of the Iraq War where the Shia Muslims were a bigger problem than the Sunni Muslim groups. 

What is new is Iraq condemning these attacks. The United States usually has a free hand in Iraq but the Prime Minster is in a tough place. He needed the support of Iran and these militias to be elected in the first place and if he angers them he probably won't get a 2nd term. He could even risk another civil war. He condemned both sides which is about all he could do. 

It does seem that attacks from Iran against US forces and interests are increasing. The attack on US troops is one of dozens that have happened in Iraq and Syria. It's one of the few that actually resulted in US casualties but it was going to happen eventually. 

Iran is probably responsible for this attack. Kataib Hezbollah, like core Hezbollah, is an Iranian proxy and I'm assuming they were the ones that launched the attack. If they weren't then the Biden administration screwed up badly, but I think it's likely they were the ones to launch the drone. I am assuming it was one of Iran's numerous disposable suicide drones 

I do think that there will be further attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria and I don't think this attack against Kataib Hezbollah will do much to stop them. Indeed, it might encourage more since they have revenge as a motivation. I also think it's a matter of time before one of our soldiers gets killed... 

I do have to wonder why we have troops in Iraq and Syria. ISIS is the supposed reason but ISIS hasn't been a threat for a few years now. All these troops seem to be accomplishing is drawing fire from these Iranian militias. I know Matt Gaetz released a bill demanding we pull troops out but that is probably dead on arrival. 

What I do know is that we are both deeply involved in the Israel-Gaza conflict and it has essentially devolved into a low scale war against Iran. And it's a war that we don't seem likely to win. A single airstrike against one of these militias isn't going to change much. It's not going to stop these attacks just like airstrikes on Yemen wouldn't stop the Houthi rebels either. Hopefully the war doesn't accelerate more than it already has...