Long before Jimmy Aldaoud died in Baghdad, an activist trying to stop President Donald Trump from deporting Christians like Aldaoud to Iraq hit on an idea: What if the U.S. could deport them to a different, safer country?
Steve Oshana raised the suggestion with several people in the Trump administration, pointing out that Christians face discrimination and persecution in Iraq. He offered up his preferred alternative: Christian-majority Armenia, whose officials had signaled to him they’d be willing to consider taking the deportees.
But the idea got nowhere, even though he ran it by White House advisers, State Department officials and figures in the Department of Homeland Security. Oshana was still pushing the option when word came earlier this month that Aldaoud had died. The 41-year-old Michigan resident had been sent to Iraq in June despite speaking no Arabic and having spent nearly his entire life in the United States. He is thought to have died because he couldn’t get the insulin he needed for his diabetes.
“I feel so guilty about what happened to Jimmy,” said Oshana, executive director of the Christian advocacy group A Demand for Action. “I don’t know if we could have done anything more looking back at all this, but it’s hard not to kick yourself wondering if anything else was possible.”
Congress could fix this by passing legislation immediately. Donald Trump does not control the government, he only controls the executive branch of the government. Our system was created to have three branches for a reason.
Meanwhile, AFP reports, "A rocket attack killed six people and wounded nine others overnight at a sports stadium in oil-rich Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, Iraqi security forces said on Sunday." And XINHUA notes, "Two paramilitary Hashd Shaabi members were killed and two of their vehicles destroyed in an airstrike on Sunday in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. An online statement by the Hashd Shaabi said two unknown drones pounded a position of the Hashd Shaabi's 45th brigade in an area near the town of al-Qaim close to the border with Syria." On the latter, we'll note this Tweet.
Israel is escalating its war against the forces that defeated ISIS in Iraq. Israel is the defender and protector of ISIS.
There will be fallout from Israel's bombing Iraq. Who will be the most likely target? Israel? Probably not.
From what we can assess, the US gave Israel a "green light" to use airpower & unmanned force to "contain" strategic build up of missiles & drones between Iraq and Lebanon. The Syro-Iraqi air fronts will be disputed between Iran and Israel. Tehran will have to back down or attack.
The US gave Israel a green light for the bombings? Maybe they did, maybe they didn't but that's the perception and it's out there. Keep that in mind while you read the next Tweet.
A reminder: Iranian-backed Shi’a Militias warned that they will attack US targets if there are any more drone strikes on their forces in Iraq.
We may well see an attack by Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Israel and an attack by Iraqi Hezbollah on US forces in Iraq soon.In related news, THE BAGHDAD POST reports:
President Brahim Salih stressed the importance of enhancing internal political cohesion and safeguarding the sovereignty, security and independence of Iraq.
While separately receiving Head of State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, Head of the Conquest Alliance (al-Fatah Alliance), Hadi Ameri, and Former Speaker of Iraqi Parliament, Dr. Salim al-Jabouri, in Baghdad, PresidentSalih stated that Iraq will not be a battleground for various political agendas, and Iraq has adopted a policy of neutrality with all states.
Kat's "Kat's Korner: Tanya and Taylor" went up earlier and Isaiah's latest comic goes up in a bit.
The following sites updated:
