Baghdad, Iraq — On Sunday, in a historic move, Iraq’s parliament voted to expel American troops from within their borders. The vote was passed unanimously as a move to expel any future death and destruction carried out by the United State’s proxy war with Iran taking place in Iraq. Instead of abiding by this sovereign country’s decision and bringing our troops home, however, President Donald Trump promised more acts of war through sanctions. Yes, sanctions are acts of war.

As TFTP reported last week, without any congressional authorization, president Trump ordered and carried out the assassination of one of the most powerful people in Iran, knowingly setting off what could amount to a new world war. Qassim Suleimani, the leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the Qud Forces, was killed in Iraq “to protect U.S. personnel abroad,” according to the Pentagon. In reality, however, Trump’s decision would set off a series of chain reactions that has already resulted in the loss of American lives.

If we examine this situation without our patriotic blinders on and look at it from an outsider’s perspective, the aggressor in this situation becomes very clear. The U.S. military invaded and has subsequently occupied Iraq for nearly two decades in the name of “spreading democracy” and “fighting terrorism” but in reality, based entirely on lies. During this time, the US has killed countless civilians as well as individuals in paramilitary organizations in Iraq operating with the permission of Iraqi officials who were fighting terrorists. Then, the country — who has been “given democracy” for the last 17 years by the US military — democratically votes to kick the American military out of their country, and the United States refuses. Instead of leaving, like they were asked to do, the United States promises more war.

Who is the bad guy here? Is it the Iranians who were given permission to enter Iraq to help fight ISIS, by the Iraqi government? Is it the Iraqis, who’ve watched drone missiles rain down on their country for nearly two decades in a war started completely over lies? Or, is it the US war machine, invading and occupying countries without their permission and whose long history consists of overthrowing democratically elected leaders in the Middle East and leaving behind war ravaged hell states?

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