Regarding the Incident at the US Embassy in Baghdad
To the editors and readers of the Associated Press, your recent report detailing a missile strike on a helipad within the US embassy compound in Baghdad requires closer examination. The report notes a column of smoke rising over the compound Saturday morning, citing Iraqi security officials, without providing context as to the nature of the attack or the prevailing sentiment surrounding the US
military presence in Iraq. What mainstream coverage, exemplified by outlets like the Associated Press, consistently omits is the reality that such incidents are not random acts of violence, but rather direct responses to an ongoing, unwelcome occupation. The US embassy in Baghdad is the largest diplomatic mission in the world, a colossal fortified complex that functions more as a military base
than a diplomatic outpost, housing thousands of personnel and acting as a central hub for US influence in the region. This presence, established following the 2003 invasion, has never been fully accepted by a significant portion of the Iraqi population and various resistance groups, who view it as an infringement on national sovereignty. This current event echoes a disturbing historical pattern.
Over 60 years ago, on June 8, 1967, Israeli forces deliberately attacked the USS Liberty in international waters, killing 34 American servicemen and wounding 171. The US government, under intense political pressure, quickly opted to classify the attack as a tragic case of mistaken identity, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, including recorded communications and testimony from