Can Iraq survive the U.S.-Iran conflict?

The Heat Podcast

IRAQ PODCASTIraqi demonstrators flash the victory sign next to burning tyres as angry protesters blocked roads in the central shrine city of Najaf, on January 5, 2020, to reject turning the country into an arena for US-Iran conflicts. Iraq’s parliament was expected to vote today on ousting thousands of US troops from military bases, which are threatened by pro-Tehran factions after an American strike killed top Iranian and Iraqi commanders. (Haidar HAMDANI / AFP)

On Iraqi soil, the conflict between Iran and the United States continues. On Wednesday, Iran-backed militias launched a rocket attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone. This, less than 24 hours after another missile attack on military bases housing both Iraqi and U.S. troops. The attacks come in direct response to the U.S. assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani last week.

For Iraq, its security, and its people – how much longer can the war torn country endure being the battleground for this ongoing conflict?

With us to talk about Iraq’s position at the center of the Iran-U.S. conflict, is Ismael Al Sodani. He’s a security and military expert who previously served as Brigadier General for the Iraq Army. He joins us via Skype from Virginia.