Iraqi Government Protests President Trump’s Visit to U.S. Troops in Western Iraq as a Violation of Their National Sovereignty: The Iraqis Are Right—We’d Be Hollering if Another Nation’s Leader Showed Up Here Without Going Through Proper Diplomatic Channels

President Trump went over to Iraq a few days ago and visited U.S. troops stationed in Western Iraq for Christmas; by all accounts the visit was successful, though the liberal press attacked the troops and the President for staging a campaign-style stop, which has started another cycle of viciousness between the President and the press.  

That’s one part of the story.

The other part of the story was that the Iraqi government wasn’t told President Trump was coming, and did not have the opportunity to tell him “no” like any other sovereign nation would have the opportunity to do, including our nation if a foreign leader turned up here without permission.

There’s a big difference in President Trump turning up in Iraq three days ago, and when President George W. Bush turned up in Iraq in November 2003.   The difference was that the U.S. had just overthrown Iraq’s dictator, and the President of the United States, for all intents and purposes, owned Iraq and all of it’s problems as there was no effective Iraqi government, just an international authority.

Times have changed.   I think that our leaders should respect the sovereignty of Iraq and other nations as we expect the same of them.  That door needs to swing both ways in order for the system to work.

And if the Iraqi government votes to demand that U.S. troops are withdrawn, our government should do so.    The U.S. has plenty of bases in the region to hit ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria should the need arise.