Indeed, it has been an eventful week in the realm of Middle Eastern politics; however, the situation has just become even more captivating. Our esteemed Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has been traversing the region with remarkable urgency (akin to a bee on a mission). His most recent destination? Baghdad, Iraq.
You may be asking yourself: “Why the focus on Iraq?” This inquiry arises because Syria is currently in turmoil following the collapse of Assad’s government just last weekend. Consequently, various parties are frantically attempting to ascertain the next steps. Blinken is not idling; he has transitioned from Turkey to Jordan and now to Iraq, endeavoring to align the perspectives of all involved.
Upon his arrival in Baghdad, Blinken engaged in discussions with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for over an hour. One can only envision the scene: two individuals, likely fueled by robust coffee, painstakingly working through the complexities of this crisis. It resembles the challenge of solving a Rubik’s cube while blindfolded, I assure you.
The big worry? Terrorism. Blinken’s been talking a lot about making sure Syria doesn’t become a playground for extremists. He’s particularly concerned about ISIS – remember those guys? Blinken thinks they might try to make a comeback in all this confusion. I swear, dealing with these terrorist organizations is like playing whack-a-mole.
They are concerned about more than simply ISIS, though. Another factor to take into account is the militias in Iraq that are supported by Iran. For some time now, these individuals have been a source of annoyance for America, making fun of American interests and troops. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, reckons they might try to take advantage of the chaos in Syria. It’s like watching a chess game where new players keep jumping in.
Blinken’s not the only one making house calls. The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East was in Iraq just days ago, checking up on the fight against ISIS. And a couple of State Department bigwigs were in Baghdad too, probably laying the groundwork for Blinken’s visit.
What is even more significance is the fact that this is not the first time Blinken is experiencing Iraq. He was there last November, when, after the October 7 Hamas attack, everybody knew that the situation might become much worse. At the time, he was demanding that the Iraqi government do something about those militia attacks I described above. Well, there are some things in life they say you can’t escape, right?
This is all happening at an astonishing pace. This is some sort of political version of the Amazing Race! These leaders are just managing their day-to-day activities Calamities in Syria are dynamic and are changing by the hour. I never knew it could be like this, I must warn you.
What is now obvious is the United States now remains determined to ensure that Syria does not become a breeding ground of terrorism. They’re contacting every body they know – Iraq, Turkey, Jordan – to see whether there is common ground which they can make a stand. In fact, reading through the ideas, it seems as though they are attempting to create an ad-hoc association.
The big question now is: what happens next? Will these noises of meetings and visits in fact build a stable solution for Syria? Or are we to expect turn of chaotic situations in the following years? As far as I am concerned and as the old adage goes, everyone is entitled to his or her guess.
One thing is clear though – Blinken and his team are really busy. And it’s not just about fighting what is burning; they are also about stopping what is trying to catch fire from igniting. It is not easy but then somebody has to do it.
So as we sit and watch in anticipation of what will come out of all these meetings, there is one truth that will continue to hold – the Middle East is as volatile and unpredictable as it was before. Stay tuned, folks. I have the feeling that in the next days and weeks there will be even more surprises.
