Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joey Hood and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq David Copley, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs On the Recent U.S.-#Iraq Strategic Dialogue state.gov/principal-depu…
"The President has directed us to get our forces down to lower levels as quickly as possible"
No sign US expects anything tangible from GOI in terms of its commitments to protect US troops/Iraqi civilians from #IRGC militias.
On Kataib #Hezbollah: "We expect to see the Iraqi Government increasingly asserting itself as it turns its focus from entirely on ISIS to getting sovereign control over all of its territory again from all groups, no matter what they look like."
"I think the Iraqi Government understands that these lawless, Iran-backed militias are a threat to their sovereignty"
US wants KRG, Turkey, and Iraq to coordinate in removing #PKK militias from #Sinjar
"We are talking to all parties about this at a high level."
Q: How will you defend US interests in Iraq with no military presence?
A: "We are confident that we will be able – with the partnership with the Iraqi Government – to protect our interests in Iraq."
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
"According to a U.N. report seen by New Lines, at least two meetings between the Houthis and al-Shabab were held in July and September 2024." newlinesmag.com/spotlight/a-pa…
If India and Pakistan can avoid a nuclear exchange, anyone can, and North Korea, e.g., will nuke South Korea (and use biological and chemical weapons) in the event of conflict regardless of the South's possession of nukes.
Nukes aren't a magical answer, but if you've got the infrastructure, know-how, and money, unclear to me why you wouldn't at least become a nuclear threshold state as a theoretical deterrent to nuclear coercion/threats.
Rules are different for nuclear powers, and everybody knows it [Pakistan has been treated with kid gloves for decades despite its behaviour, partially for this reason].
Seems the "Georgian Legion" that basically kicked off what became NAFO was a scam, one I promoted and to which I donated and got my friends to donate significant amounts of money.
Al-Qaeda (Al-Shabaab) has reversed all Somali military gains in central Somalia over the last 2 years and is working with the IRGC (Houthis) to enhance capabilities.
"Ahmed said the Houthis...aim to establish a new front in the Indian Ocean where al-Shabaab can receive advanced missiles and drones. He said the Houthis have already sent three engineers to al-Shabaab...to help build sophisticated weapons and bombs."
.@jonathanchait: "They are treating apologias for Hamas as a factually or logically flawed application of left-wing ideals. I believe...that Hamas defenders are applying their own principles correctly. The problem is the principles themselves." nymag.com/intelligencer/…
@jonathanchait: "The illiberal left believes treating everybody equally...merely serves to maintain existing structures of power. It follows...that the legitimacy of a tactic can only be assessed with reference to whether it is being used by the oppressor or the oppressed."
@jonathanchait: '“Decolonization”...has a model of the world in which conflicts are analyzed as a struggle pitting settler-colonist-Europeans, who are evil, against native/indigenous/BIPOC people...[It] does not leave room to judge the morality of any methods.'