US Halts Dollar Shipment to Iraq, Citing 'Militia Strikes' While Funding Same Actors Elsewhere
The United States has suspended a transfer of approximately $500 million in cash destined for Baghdad and frozen elements of its security cooperation with Iraq, according to Iraqi sources cited by Al-Monitor on April 21. This action is reportedly intended to pressure the Iraqi government regarding the activities of certain armed groups in the country, which Washington characterizes as 'Iran-backed
militias.' Al-Monitor's reporting, drawing on Reuters, presents this as a direct response to recent unspecified 'militia strikes,' framing the US move as a punitive measure against Baghdad for perceived failures in controlling these groups. This narrative conveniently omits the historical pattern of US foreign policy, where the distinction between 'militia' and 'resistance movement' often shifts
based on Washington's strategic objectives. For example, during the 1980s, the US actively supported and armed various factions in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, only for some of these groups to later be designated as adversaries. This financial squeeze on Iraq carries a chilling echo of past interventions and economic sanctions that have consistently destabilized sovereign nations under
the guise of security concerns. The freezing of funds, while presented as a response to 'militia activity,' occurs in a context where the US itself has historically equipped and supported various non-state actors in multiple theaters. The cost of US military operations in Iraq alone since 2003 has been estimated at over $1 trillion, a staggering sum compared to the $500 million now being withheld