Saturday, November 06, 2021

Was Mustafa the target of an assassination attempt? If so, by whom?

Big event in Iraq.  Whether it's been reported accurately or not is another question.



Everyone's saying the attack was aimed at Mustafa al-Kahdimi, the prime minister of Iraq.


US State Dept spokesperson Ned Price issued the following statement:


We are following the reported drone attack targeting the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi. We are relieved to learn the Prime Minister was unharmed. This apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart of the Iraqi state. We are in close touch with the Iraqi security forces charged with upholding Iraq’s sovereignty and independence and have offered our assistance as they investigate this attack. Our commitment to our Iraqi partners is unshakeable. The United States stands with the government and people of Iraq.


Alistair Jameson (INDEPENDENT) reports:

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt with armed drones that targeted his residence early on Sunday.

Seven of his security guards were injured in the attack, which occurred in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone area.


AP notes, "Two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press that seven of al-Kadhimi's security guards were injured in the attack with two armed drones which occurred in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone area. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give official statements."  THE GUARDIAN reminds:


Protests turned deadly on Friday when the demonstrators marched towards the Green Zone and there was an exchange of fire in which one protester was killed and dozens of security forces were injured.

Al-Khadimi ordered an investigation to determine what sparked the clashes and who violated orders not to open fire. Some militia leaders have openly blamed al-Kadhimi for Friday’s clashes and the protester’s death.

Al-Kadhimi, 54, was Iraq’s former intelligence chief before becoming prime minister in May last year. He is considered by the militias to be close to the US, and has tried to find a balance between Iraq’s alliances with the US and Iran.


That would be the only real reason to attack Mustafa.


Otherwise, he doesn't really matter.


He was never really elected and on one thinks for a moment that he'll have a second term.  His brief term has been a nightmare and he's failed at everything he's attempted.  (Including re-election.)


The violence would play like an attention-getting stunt carried out by his supporters (possibly US supporters).  The only real reasons he'd be attacked -- he is an outgoing prime minister?  


To destabilize the country further or for revenge.  Those are the only two logical and workable motives to target him now.


Who wants revenge?  The militias.


Where'd the drone come from?


Was it used by the Iranian-backed militias?  Was it a drone from Iran?


If so, this is what some consider payback for his disenfranchising the militia members.  A large group of them were prevented from voting.  This was due to the electoral commission and many of the militias believe that the commission was acting on the orders of Mustafa.  If you're new to this detail, October 10th, Iraq voted.  The Friday before, the security forces voted.  Security forces voted early because they were being deployed by the government on October 10th to protect polling stations.  They would not be in their own neighborhoods to vote.  The Iraqi government, under the pervious prime minister, made the militias part of the government's security forces.  They were disenfranchised.  That's one of the reasons they're calling out the vote, one of the reasons they're objecting to it.  The press keeps lying.


The western press keeps insisting that there is no evidence of any irregularities in the vote.  There may or may not be additional irregularities but the fact that a large number of people were disenfranchised is not in dispute.  The electoral commission made that late ruling publicly, right ahead of the vote.  We covered it in real time.  To pretend this didn't happen is to lie.  I don't understand how lying about this helps anyone. 


I am not pro-militia.  I opposed for years the notion that they should be made a part of the security forces.  After they were, I continued to oppose it.  Even now, I think they should be expelled from the government forces.


That is my opinion.


My opinion does not change reality.  Reality is that they are security forces under the present system and that they were denied the right to vote in large numbers.  


That could be a motive for revenge.  


There are other people who want revenge on Mustafa.


And there are people who want to de-stabilize Iraq which would be killing the prime minister right now.  Right now, this a chaotic period.  There's still no final vote count -- no official one.  No one knows who will step forward to be named prime minister-designate.  You could do a lot of damage to the system right now by killing Mustafa.  


There are many who want to damage the system.  


So revenge and chaos are the two most logical explanations to an attempt on Mustafa.  If indeed, this was an attempt on Mustafa.


Kat's "Kat's Korner: No, Diana Ross, Thank You" went up earlier.   The following sites updated:



 

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