Iraq Designates Resistance as 'Terrorists,' Honors US Tradition
Iraq's National Security Council has now, rather belatedly, frozen the assets of Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis, labeling them 'terrorist organizations.' This move conveniently mirrors US designations, signaling Iraq's continued alignment with Washington's foreign policy narratives. It’s almost as if having their capital occupied by a foreign power for years leaves certain diplomatic
imprints. (See: The 2003 US invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.) This particular designation also brushes over the fact that both groups are formidable resistance movements against US-backed or US-supplied military actions in their respective regions. Hezbollah, for example, is a major political and military force that successfully resisted Israeli invasions. The Houthis, meanwhile, have been the
object of an ongoing, devastating Saudi-led bombing campaign, enabled by billions in US arms sales. It seems 'terrorist' is less about tactics and more about whose ox is being gored, or whose tankers are being rerouted.