Macron: Do Not Let Iraq "Be Dragged Into Escalating Conflict"
France – March 28, French President Emmanuel Macron called for "all possible measures" to prevent Iraq from being "drawn into an escalating conflict," as the country becomes increasingly entangled in the Middle East crisis. Following a phone call with Iraqi Kurdistan regional president Nechirvan Barzani, Macron emphasized: "The sovereignty of Iraq and its Kurdish region is crucial for regional stability." Barzani's residence was struck by a drone attack on Saturday morning, which Macron described as "unacceptable."
Macron further stressed: "This worrying development comes amid renewed attacks targeting Iraqi institutions." In recent weeks, the United States and Israel have launched multiple strikes against pro-Iranian armed groups within Iraq, groups that daily claim responsibility for dozens of drone and rocket attacks against U.S. military personnel stationed in Iraq and across the Middle East.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry issued a statement on the 28th, condemning the "U.S.-Israeli aggression" and announcing that one colonel police officer and one police commissioner were killed, with five other officers injured, in an airstrike on Saturday in Mosul, a major city in northern Iraq.
The statement said the five injured officers "were hit again while heading to rescue colleagues who had been wounded in the initial airstrike." It also noted that the target was a police station located in "the center of Mosul."
Besides political and security crises, Iraq is also facing an economic crisis. With 90% of its economy dependent on oil and gas exports, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has dealt a particularly severe blow. To maintain national unity, authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan and the central Iraqi government reached an agreement allowing Iraqi oil to be exported via Turkey through the Iraqi Kurdistan Pipeline. However, this arrangement can only restore export levels to one-twelfth of pre-war volumes. "Iraq may soon find itself unable to pay salaries to civil servants—including military personnel," the report warns.
Robin Beaumont, Ph.D., Iraq expert at the think tank Noria, cautioned: "When that happens, social crisis will only deepen. We might witness the resurgence of large-scale popular mobilization movements."
Iraq heavily depends on Iran. For example, the country uses Iranian natural gas to power its population. Attacks on Iran’s South Pars gas field caused serious power outages. Although Iranian gas supplies resumed over the weekend, they remain below the levels required by Iraq.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860970519006212/
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