Secret of US attacks on PMU positions in al-Qa’im

Mohammad Ghaderi

In an unprecedented move, which indicates the beginning of direct conflict between US-Israeli coalition and the axis of resistance, the US attacked the bases related to Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah, near the al-Qa’im border crossing. The move by the Americans reveals the US desire to occupy Iraq and meet the interests of the Zionist regime.

considering the sensitive circumstances in Iraq and increased concern by the Zionist regime over boosting the missile power of the axis of resistance, the Americans targeted the bases that they knew were of great importance for the axis of resistance.

The beginning of a harsh response to US aggressors: The US intervention was directly aimed at fulfilling the Israeli plans, as it could carry out the attacks elsewhere in Iraq. Choosing al-Qa’im as the target indicates that the raids were far beyond a reaction to the attacks on the K1 base in Kirkuk, suggesting that the strategic phase of confrontation of the two sides has begun.

Although, the Israelis were deeply pleased by the attacks, the US Arab allies, with the exception of the Khalifa family that strongly backed the move, remained silent in the face of extreme backlash by Iraqi political groups.  What are the Americans looking for?

The US in fact is trying to take the control of areas that it considers to be in favor of its projects. It does not intend to step back in the face of the axis of the resistance. The sources affiliated to the PMU have said that behind the scene game is over and the confrontation has emerged.

From the perspective of the Iraqi resistance groups’ leaders, the US has made a mistake in its calculations and adopted the game of “blood versus blood”, so the Iraqi resistance movement insists on a proper response in proportion to the US air raids. Why the US chose al-Qa’im?

The al-Bukamal-al-Qa’im border crossing is 450 km to Damascus and 340 km to Baghdad. The border crossing connects two cities of al-Qa’im in Iraq’s Anbar province to the Syrian province of Deirez-Zor by land, which are the closest cities to the common border.

1. Washington is against the presence of the PMU in this area because the al-Bukamal-al-Qa’im border crossing raises the sensitivity of Tel Aviv. Israel considers the border crossing as Tehran’s safe road to Beirut, and is therefore seeking to block it.

2. Al-Qa’im is the closest area to Ain Assad Air Base, where hundreds of US troops are stationed. All US troop commuting between Iraq and Syria is monitored by the base, so the Americans do not want any of PMU forces to be present there.

3. Kata’ib Hezbollah has been targeted along with other units operating under the PMU because brigades 45 deployed in Syrian-Iraqi border is one of the strongest units.

It can be concluded that the attacks on the PMU positions were in line with the ongoing US and Zionist regime’ moves to weaken the resistance movement against the aggressors. The US strikes are a violation of the Iraqi sovereignty and all international charters. The attacks show that US troops in Iraq are acting against Iraq and its organizations.  The attacks will result in the unity of the Iraqi people with the PMU and efforts to dislodge US troops from Iraq. Undoubtedly, Washington will face a very dangerous situation, following the recent blunder against the PMU.