US Piles Pressure on Iraq for 'Leadership Change,' Echoing Colonial Playbooks
📰 THE STORY: The Financial Times reports that Iraq is preparing to select a new leader amidst escalating US pressure to reduce Iran's regional sway, with the dominant Shia alliance reportedly nominating Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister after protracted negotiations. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The US has a long history of meddling in Iraqi leadership, most notably the
2003 invasion under false pretenses of WMDs, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, displacing millions, and utterly destabilizing the region. Before that, the US supported Saddam Hussein during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, providing intelligence and chemical weapons components, showcasing Washington's transactional relationship with regional 'partners' based purely on its geopolitical
interests, not democracy or stability. Double Standard: When sovereign nations assert their own regional alliances, especially with non-Western powers like Iran, it's labeled 'malign influence' or 'destabilization.' Yet, the US maintains hundreds of military bases globally, intervenes covertly and overtly in countless elections, and provides billions in military aid to client states like Egypt
($1.3B/year) to maintain its own 'influence'—this is never framed as a problem. Imagine The Financial Times reporting on 'China piling pressure to curb US influence in Canada.' The hypocrisy is glaring. Follow the Money: The pressure on Iraq isn't just about 'influence'; it's about control over energy markets, arms sales, and geopolitical positioning against challengers to US hegemony. US arms