Evacuating Staff

From the BBC:

“US pulls 'non-emergency staff' from Iraq as Iran tensions mount”

The US state department has ordered the departure of "non-emergency employees" from Iraq, amid rising tensions between the US and Iraq's neighbour Iran. Staff at the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Irbil must leave as soon as possible on commercial transport. Meanwhile, the German and Dutch armies have suspended training Iraqi soldiers. The US military said on Tuesday that the threat level in the Middle East had been raised in response to intelligence about Iran-backed forces in the region. It contradicted a British general who had said there was "no increased threat". Chris Ghika, deputy commander of the global coalition against the Islamic State group, had told reporters that measures in place to protect US forces and their allies from Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria were "completely satisfactory".

Why is the US evacuating staff?

The state department gave no reason for the decision. But it came after the US military's Central Command publicly disputed Gen Ghika's comments, saying they ran "counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from US and allies". Central Command, in co-ordination with the global coalition's Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), had "increased the force posture level for all service members assigned to OIR in Iraq and Syria", spokesman Capt Bill Urban said.  "As a result OIR is now at a high level of alert as we continue to closely monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to US forces in Iraq," he added. Germany's defence ministry said on Wednesday that the German army had suspended its training programmes in Iraq.  A spokesman said the ministry had received indications of potential attacks supported by Iran, but that there was no specific threat to the 160 German troops involved in the training operation. The Dutch defence ministry said Dutch soldiers had also suspended their training mission due to an unspecified threat, local media report.

Do we know anything about the alleged threat?

Reuters news agency has cited Iraqi security sources as saying that during a visit to Iraq earlier this month US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Iraqi commanders that intelligence showed Iran-backed paramilitary fighters were positioning rockets near bases housing US troops. "The message from the Americans was clear. They wanted guarantees that Iraq would stop those groups threatening US interests," one of the sources was quoted as saying. "They said if the US were attacked on Iraqi soil, it would take action to defend itself without co-ordinating with Baghdad." The US sees the thousands of Iran-backed Shia Muslim paramilitary fighters in Iraq as a threat  Iraq's Prime Minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, said on Tuesday that its security forces had not observed "movements that constitute a threat to any side".  Paramilitary groups trained, armed and advised by Iran have played an important role in the battle against IS in Iraq. They were formally incorporated into the Iraqi security forces last year, but continue to operate semi-independently.  Spokesmen for two of the groups told Reuters that the talk of threats to US forces was "psychological warfare" by Washington. The US does not have a diplomatic presence in Iran. The Swiss embassy represents US interests in the country.

Why have US-Iran tensions escalated?

It was also reported on Tuesday that US investigators believed Iran or groups it supported had used explosives to damage four tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. Large holes were found in the hulls of the tankers, but no evidence has been released showing a link to Iran. Saudi Arabia meanwhile said that drone attacks on two oil pumping stations by Yemen's Houthi rebel movement, which is supported by Iran, had forced it to temporarily shut the main East-West Pipeline. Earlier this month, the US sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf.  There were repeated warnings from Washington justifying the military build-up, based on what Mr Pompeo described as an "escalation" in activities by Iran.  It came after the US ended exemptions from sanctions for importers of Iranian oil. President Donald Trump reinstated the sanctions last year after abandoning a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers. Iran has vowed to overcome the measures, but its economy is sliding towards a deep recession and the value of its currency has plummeted. 

^ I don’t know if this Iranian threat inside Iraq is real or imminent (the US State Department said the same thing back in October 2018 when it closed the US Consulate in Basra without any warning and left over 200 Americans out of work (and their personal items there thrown out without compensation.) I really hope Pompeo and Trump aren’t trying to create something that isn’t there so we “forget” about what’s happening here at home. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48279203