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Iraq, Iran and the Next Move
The United States told the Iraqi government last week that if it wants
U.S. troops to remain in Iraq beyond the deadline of Dec. 31, 2011,
stipulated by the current Status of Forces Agreement between Washington
and Baghdad, it would have to inform the United States quickly. Unless a
new agreement is reached soon, the United States will be unable to
remain. The implication in the U.S. position is that a complex planning
process must be initiated to leave troops there and delays will not
allow that process to take place.
What is actually going on is that the United States is urging the Iraqi
government to change its mind on U.S. withdrawal, and it would like Iraq
to change its mind right now in order to influence some of the events
taking place in the Persian Gulf. The Shiite uprising in Bahrain and the
Saudi intervention, along with events in Yemen, have created an
extremely unstable situation in the region, and the United States is
afraid that completing the withdrawal would increase the instability. Read more »
Dispatch: The Syrian Paradox
Analyst Reva Bhalla examines the domestic and international pressures on
the Syrian regime as protests and crackdowns intensify. Watch the Video »
