High ranking Military officials among killed in PMF attack on US base in Iraq
Last week, the Iraq's People's Mobilization Forces (PMF) launched a series of attacks against US bases in Iraq.
In June 27 attack, three missiles hit the US headquarters at the US base in Erbil injuring four people, including two high-ranking military personnel, according to senior US military official James Hurdel.
The injured officials included Lt. Col. James C. Willis of the U.S. Army and Colonel Sharon Asman of the Israeli Defence Force The injured were immediately taken to Al Udeid Air Base Hospital in Qatar. Next day, only one person survived and three other officials lost their lives.
According to the reports, the bodies of the victims were then reportedly sent to the capitals of their home countries. The funeral of Lt. Col. James C. Willis was held on July 1 in his hometown Albuquerque, New Mexico.
According to EverLoved, the high-ranking American official was buried in Santa Fe National Cemetery, which is specified for the soldiers. However, the public announcement of his funeral took place at a time when natural reasons for his death were cited.
On the same day, Israeli Army Colonel Sharon Asman was buried during a funeral procession in the cemetery of Jonah in his hometown.
The deaths of the high-ranking US military officials in the Middle East are nothing new. In 2014, the death of Gen. Harold J. Greene made headlines in Afghanistan. The US general was killed in an attack by an Afghan soldier at a British-run military academy near Kabul. Similar incidents have taken place one after the other in recent decades. However, this latest incident is significant in many ways, and that is why, it is being kept confidential and has received almost no media coverage.
An intense response
The drone strikes on the US base in Erbil were in response to the US airstrikes carried out three days before the attack. While the PMF declined to comment, observers believe that the US military operation on the Iraqi-Syrian border compelled the PMF to carry out the attack.
The deaths of two high-ranking military officials is a severe blow to the presence of US military in the Middle East. The Western media did not cover the attack or the damage caused in it. The public is already dissatisfied with their military presence in the region, the incident may thus provoke strong reactions and public discontent within the United States and Israel.
The Western media related the death of Lt. Col. James C. Willis with personal health issues. Some unconfirmed reports indicate that President Biden personally requested a classification of information of PMF operations and the death of a senior US colonel.
The government also kept members of Congress unaware of the results of US operations in Iraq and Syria.
The level of classification of the news of these attacks reflects the sensitivity of the issue to the US national security and its policy in the Middle East. The US clash with the independent Iraqi militias comes at a time when the United States is under intense pressure to withdraw troops from the region.
The people of the US are now tired of the multi billion-dollar cost of the two-decade war in the Middle East. In addition, as the attacks on US forces intensify, public dissatisfaction has increased with the growing number of US casualties in the war.
On the other hand, people living in the occupied countries also protest against the US presence in Iraq and Syria. Their call for an immediate withdrawal has been accompanied by the passage of laws in their parliaments that will force American troops to leave the country.
Biden's political recommendations in Iraq and Syria have worsened the military situation in the past six months. The death of a high-ranking colonel may lead to more tensions.
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