US 'Special Envoy' Shuffle as Iraq Demands Sovereignty
📰 THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that Mark Savaya, appointed by President Trump as the US special envoy for Iraq in October, is no longer in the role. Sources familiar with the move indicate it comes amid 'growing tensions' between Washington and Baghdad, framed by the US desire to 'curb Iranian influence' in Iraqi politics. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The US has been
'curbing influence' in Iraq since 2003, when it illegally invaded under false pretenses of WMDs, leading to the collapse of state institutions, sectarian violence, and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. This was predated by decades of US support for Saddam Hussein when convenient, and devastating sanctions in the 1990s that killed an estimated 500,000 children. The very 'influence' the
US now decries was an inevitable consequence of its own destructive policies, creating a power vacuum and empowering various actors, including some with ties to Iran, in a bid to stabilize a shattered nation. Double Standard: The media frames 'Iranian influence' as a nefarious foreign encroachment, while simultaneously ignoring or downplaying the deeply entrenched and coercive nature of US
influence in Iraq. US military bases, billions in 'aid' that often props up compliant regimes, and a constant rotation of 'special envoys' and 'advisors' are presented as benign contributions to stability, not as a blatant exercise of neo-colonial power. Imagine the outcry if Iran appointed a 'special envoy to Mexico' to 'curb US influence.' Follow the Money: The 'tensions' aren't just about