The US and its allies in Iraq are bracing for attacks as a hidden threat from Iran looms

[jpak]

https://www.businessinsider.com/state-dept-orders-all-non-emergency-government-personnel-out-of-iraq-2019-5

The US Department of State sent out a notice Wednesday ordering all non-emergency US government employees to leave Iraq immediately.

Without giving a reason for the partial evacuation, the notice said that employees should "depart Iraq by commercial transportation as soon as possible" and "avoid US facilities within Iraq." US employees are being pulled out of both the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate in Erbil.

State provided some additional clarity after the release of the notice, explaining that "given the increased threat stream we are seeing in Iraq ... the secretary has decided to place Mission Iraq on ordered departure," CNN reported.

"These actions are not the prelude to a U.S. attack against Iran," Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, tweeted. "There is clear & persistent evidence,supported by observable movements on the ground,that Iran's proxy forces in Iraq and Yemen plan to attack Americans with the intent of inflicting mass casualties."

<more>

There's a monster under the bed!!111

BOO!

[RKP5637]

1. Beating the war drums. The ass and his buddies are trying to start another war. n/t

[Celerity]

2. No increased Iran threat in Syria or Iraq, top British officer says, contradicting US

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/14/no-iran-threat-in-syria-or-iraq-says-top-british-officer-in-defiance-of-us

The top British general in the US-led coalition against Isis has said there is no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq or Syria, directly contradicting US assertions used to justify a military buildup in the region.

Hours later however, his assessment was disowned by US Central Command in an extraordinary rebuke of an allied senior officer. A spokesman insisted that the troops in Iraq and Syria were on a high level of alert due to the alleged Iranian threat. The conflicting versions of the reality on the ground added to the confusion and mixed signals in a tense part of the Middle East.

Maj Gen Christopher Ghika, who is a deputy commander of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the coalition conducting counter-terrorist operations against Isis in Iraq and Syria, was repeatedly questioned by reporters about the threat from Shia militias in Syria and Iraq, cited by US officials over the past week as justification for speeding up the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group in the Gulf and for sending B-52 Stratofortress bombers and an anti-aircraft battery to the region.

“No – there’s been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria,” Ghika said in a videolink briefing from Baghdad to the Pentagon. “We’re aware of that presence, clearly. And we monitor them along with a whole range of others because that’s the environment we’re in. We are monitoring the Shia militia groups. I think you’re referring to carefully and if the threat level seems to go up then we’ll raise our force protection measures accordingly.”

[mr_lebowski]

3. Yah know IQ45, Bush II lied about quite a bit leading up to Iraq, but not TEN THOUSAND FUCKING TIMES

NOBODY but the VERY STUPIDEST among the population are going to believe a G*DDAMN THING YOUR ADMIN SAYS.

And The Pentagon has surely already figured out how full of shit you are.

Your ability to effectively protect this Nation is ENTIRELY COMPROMISED by your CONSTANT FUCKING LIES, and you need to step down if our citizens/military personnel are in any actual imminent danger from a hostile enemy.

YOU CANNOT LEAD, you are TOO COMPROMISED.

[GeorgeGist]

4. Please don't peddle this shit.

[anarch]

5. JFC n/t