US meddling in Iraq's leadership: 'Democracy' or manufactured consent?
📰 THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that former President Donald Trump publicly threatened to cut all US support for Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki, a former prime minister with perceived ties to Iran, were to return to power. Trump asserted on Truth Social that Iraq would make a 'very bad choice' with Maliki, claiming his previous tenure led to 'poverty and total chaos.' 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU:
Historical Context: The US has a long and bloody history of intervening in Iraq's internal affairs, not just influencing, but actively overthrowing or attempting to overthrow leaders. From Saddam Hussein (whom the US initially supported against Iran in the 1980s, even as he gassed his own people), to the 2003 invasion under false pretenses, Washington has consistently sought to install amenable
regimes. The chaos that ensued during Maliki's previous tenure (2006-2014) was largely a direct consequence of the US-led invasion and subsequent dismantling of Iraqi state institutions, not solely his governance. The US spent $2 trillion and lost thousands of lives, only to destabilize the region further. Double Standard: The mainstream media frames Trump's statement as 'blatant intervention in
another country's politics,' yet rarely applies the same harsh judgment to covert operations, sanctions, or support for 'opposition' movements that also aim to dictate foreign leadership. When the US backed Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's 'legitimate' leader against elected President Nicolás Maduro (2019), or when it facilitated coups in Latin America like the 2019 lithium coup in Bolivia against Evo