As long as the US occupies Iraq, US soldiers will be targets. As long as the US occupies Iraq, no Iraqi politician will have legitimacy. The situation is fubar.
Is there any way to salvage anything out of this mess? Yes, turn the tiger over to Iran.
Pull out our troops while inviting the Iranians in. Complain bitterly about being outmaneuvered by the Iranians. Congratulate them for a well-played hand. Don’t laugh out loud for two years.
Will the Iranians prove to be more welcome occupiers than the US? At first and only among the Shiites. The violence from the Sunnis will not stop. The Kurds might well become more active as they attempt to secure Mosul. Even among the Shiite population there will be rumblings about trading one imperial overlord for another. There are important ethnic and language differences between Iraq and Iran which will, given a few years of direct experience with Iranian puppet rule, bubble up.
The US wants to bring down the Iranian regime? Give them Iraq.
Posted by Martial