After U.S. Strikes, Iran’s Proxies Scale Back Attacks on American Bases
New York TimesFeb 19
Dozens Hurt as Explosion Hits Iraqi Military Base
story
The Facts
A massive explosion late Friday rocked Iraq's Kalsu military base, located south of Baghdad in the province of Babylon, killing one and injuring eight.
The blast reportedly damaged buildings and caused a fire at the base, which houses the Iraqi army, police, and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) — an umbrella organization that includes some Iran-aligned brigades.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Whether directly involved or not, America is the ultimate culprit for this deadly incident because Washington exerts control over the Iraqi airspace. If the international community wants to ease tensions in the Middle East, then it's crucial to end the US military presence in Iraq and Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
Pro-establishment narrative
Calls for the US military to leave Iraq are hardly new, as Iranian-backed militia groups have long sought to fill the vacuum that would be created in the event of an American withdrawal from Iraqi soil. If the US military presence in Iraq comes to an end, then Baghdad would eventually fall under the dictates of Tehran.
