It Seems That United States of America Has No Set Bearing in The Middle East
The Overall American Power is declining rapidly and therefore Americans are getting entrapped in their own self created web. This is exactly what is happening in the Middle and it is making the American people very tired, fearful and unhappy. So Trump is facing a big problem ….should he just walk out with his troops bag and baggage or somehow try and keep the entire region under superfluous control. US withdrawal would result in a power vacuum, which will be filled by other forces and US global domination will be wiped out. Thus Washington will try and ensure to be in control of the geopolitical and economic situation in the Middle East.
The actual problem being faced by America is closer at home, in the Pacific, where now its hegemony has been solidly challenged by China. The USA plan to somehow rope in India along with Japan to contain China in the Pacific and the wider Indo Pacific has failed miserably. India just refused to walk into the American trap and do their bidding. India is quite confident of dominating any Chinese foray within the Indian Ocean Region by itself.
So now the only option left for the USA is to withdraw its resources from the Middle East and re deploy them within the Pacific to face the Chinese. With reduction of resources, Middle East will just slip out of American control and with it the USA leverage or control on a very lucrative Oil market may just vanish. This decision is yet another problem being faced by Trump.
While trying to resolve the above two problems, Trump has gone ahead and disgraced himself and the USA by ordering the killing of Iran’s most powerful military commander on Iraq’s soil. General Soleimani had come to Baghdad on the invitation of the Iraqi Givernment and was certainly not an UN declared international terrorist. Thus by this killing USA itself has committed an act of state terrorism within another country over a third country. Thus it has also displayed its utter disregard for Iraqi sovereignty.
Every sane person including the military in the Pentagon have been stunned by such action of the CIA on Trumps clearance. This kind of radical step of killing of Soleimani, as per Pentagon officials was the most extreme option. After the US drone strike killing the top Iranian military commander, it was just not conceivable that Iran would not retaliate. Iran has fought back immediately by launching missiles against US bases in Iraq.
However Iran has not targeted the US soil and therefore Internationally such a strike cannot be termed as a declaration of war. Iran did aim at US troops, stationed in Iraq as a sure shot warning should go. Iran doesn’t want a fierce clash or a war with the US. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif clearly stated on morning after the Irani missile attack that his country was taking measures in self-defense. “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression,” he said.
US casualties are not known and now the Defence Secretary has officially denied any casualties but has acknowledged the attack. So next happenings will now depend on US reaction, including US President Donald Trump’s judgment of the situation, the opinions of US public and Congress.
Washington might decide to fight back with tough military actions on Iran’s soil, like what it did after Pearl Harbor in 1941. In that case the US, Iran and the entire Middle East would be heading toward a war with potential to suck in others. Though Trump tweeting hours after the attack that he “will be making a statement tomorrow morning.” Should means that the US now understands the severity of the situation.
Trump and his advisors instead of making any impulsive move must be deliberate, because Its next move will educe tensions or lead into a war. Whole world is watching.
Trump may have taken the impulsive action to kill Soleimani, goaded by the American Media’s headline stating “ Soleimani was a longtime enemy of America blamed for hundreds of US soldiers deaths,”. After all the elections are looming ahead. However Trump may have failed to calculate that Iran would react in such a furious way.
In addition to this latest fiasco, US-Turkey ties have been shattered too. Even Saudi Arabia has started having doubts regarding the USA sincerity. With happenings in Syria, Iraq and further in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it seems Trump has lost his direction in this part of Asia.
