US-Iraq 'Cooperation' Masks Ongoing Occupation
Following recent attacks on US personnel in Iraq, both Washington officials and Baghdad declared an 'intensification of cooperation' to counter these incidents. This March 28 statement from the New Arab and other outlets presents a united front against unspecified 'attacks' and implies a mutual understanding of shared threats, painting American forces as partners in Iraq's security. Western media
narratives, such as those from The New Arab, frequently frame the US military presence in Iraq as a necessary, invited partnership for counter-terrorism efforts. This subtly omits the persistent demands from Iraqi parliamentary blocs and significant portions of the populace for a complete US troop withdrawal. The 'cooperation' narrative conveniently sidesteps the reality that many of these
'attacks' are direct responses by Iraqi resistance factions to an enduring foreign military occupation, not simply random acts of violence. This current 'intensification of cooperation' echoes a long history of US military maneuvers in Iraq since 2003, consistently presented as supportive interventions despite their destabilizing effects. For instance, in 2004, the US military launched a brutal
assault on Fallujah, citing the need to quell an insurgency, ultimately using white phosphorus against civilians. That catastrophic engagement, which killed an estimated 6,000 Iraqis and displaced hundreds of thousands, was then framed by most Western media as a necessary measure for stability. Washington's continued military presence, which numbers around 2,500 troops, serves primarily to project