Who Bombed Iraq's Mustafa al-Kadhimi?

Who Bombed Iraq’s Mustafa al-Kadhimi?

Much depends on how Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi responds to the Iran-backed Shiite militia groups that tried to kill him.

The attempted assassination of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at his Baghdad home Sunday represents a grave escalation in that strife-torn country. The political authorities’ response may determine whether Iraq has a chance to emerge from endless crisis or is set on a path of Lebanonization—de facto rule by armed militias in the service of a foreign state.

No group has claimed responsibility for the three drones launched at Mr. Kadhimi’s residence in the Green Zone, the area where government offices are located in Baghdad. But the affiliation of the perpetrators is not in doubt. Only Iran-supported Shiite militias have the means, motivation and ability to mount an armed drone attack of this type.

Continue reading the full article at wsj.com>

Jonathan Spyer is a Ginsburg/Milstein Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum and director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis.

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Iraq

Jonathan Spyer

Jonathan Spyer oversees the Forum’s content and is editor of the Middle East Quarterly. Mr. Spyer, a journalist, reports for Janes Intelligence Review, writes a column for the Jerusalem Post, and is a contributor to the Wall Street Journal and The Australian. He frequently reports from Syria and Iraq. He has a B.A. from the London School of Economics, an M.A. from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. He is the author of two books: The Transforming Fire: The Rise of the Israel-Islamist Conflict (2010) and Days of the Fall: A Reporter’s Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars (2017).