Deep goes the rabbit hole. Strategic Culture Foundation just redeemed themselves of recent neoconning: The Deeper Story Behind The Assassination Of Soleimani https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/01/08/the-deeper-story-behind-th... https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/deeper-story-behind-assassination-sol... [US financial bullying/demands against Iraq - demanding 50% of all oil revenue for rebuilding of (elec) infrastructure] [Indignant Iraq goes and signs a deal with China instead] [US demands recinding this deal] [Iraqi PM says "nyet"] [US threats of protests against and assassination of Iraqi PM] [Iraqi PM resigns in hope to save skin] [(Now ex- ?) Iraqi PM and defense minister threatened by US with assassination if they don't recind deal with Chinese to rebuild Iraqi infrastructure - or rather, even if they "keep talking about this third part" (China)] [Saudi appears to have had enough war:] Saudi Arabia is sending a delegation to Washington to urge restraint with Iran on behalf of [Persian] Gulf states. The message will be: ‘Please spare us the pain of going through another war’. What clearly emerges is that the success of the operation against Soleimani had nothing to do with the intelligence gathering of the US or Israel. It was known to all and sundry that Soleimani was heading to Baghdad in a diplomatic capacity that acknowledged Iraq’s efforts to mediate a solution to the regional crisis with Saudi Arabia. [and Qatar, Turkey and Egypt all on the page with Saudi Arabia, in either support or moderation of some sort for Iran - effectively unanimous calls for de-escalation] [US evidently flailing its uni-polar dragon's tail, in the face of an emergent multi polar world; petro dollar, and consequent unlimited US war war budgets, naturally under fire] ... Washington would like to prevent any Eurasian integration by unleashing chaos and destruction in the region, and killing Soleimani served this purpose. The US cannot contemplate the idea of the dollar losing its status as the global reserve currency. Trump is engaging in a desperate gamble that could have disastrous consequences. ... Soleimani’s death is the result of a convergence of US and Israeli interests. With no other way of halting Eurasian integration, Washington can only throw the region into chaos by targeting countries like Iran, Iraq and Syria that are central to the Eurasian project. While Israel has never had the ability or audacity to carry out such an assassination itself, the importance of the Israel Lobby to Trump’s electoral success would have influenced his decision, all the more so in an election year. ... The assassination of Soleimani is the US lashing out at its steady loss of influence in the region. The Iraqi attempt to mediate a lasting peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia has been scuppered by the US and Israel’s determination to prevent peace in the region and instead increase chaos and instability. ... [So it may well be that TPTB behind the scenes, and for a totally random example, this one little known M.E., virulently tribal tribe, successfully pushed for the murder of Soleimani in order to keep the conflict alive; Bibi: "We stand fully by the United States in its just battle for security, peace and self-defense. ... Soleimani is responsible for the deaths of innocent US citizens and many others." https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-lauds-trump-for-killing-of-irans-sol... ] [Of course, once Iran cut right to the chase and promised to level Israel's 3rd largest city, Haifa, should this war escalate, Bibi backtracked with more stylish moves than Israelis dancing on a New York roof in September; Bibi: “The assassination of Soleimani isn't an Israeli event but an American event. We were not involved and should not be dragged into it,” https://www.rt.com/news/477604-netanyahu-distances-israel-soleimani-killing/ ] Conclusion: Iraq under a few decades of bombing, has been made America's bitch; they don't want to completely surrender and want to maintain a little financial dignity. That might sound odd, but it's understandable. The question is whether the Fed will continue to hold out for the fullness of their demands upon the Iraqi parliament, whilst risking a new M.E. war/ uprising against the USA. Events such as the recent US assassination of Soleimani, have a real chance to re-galvanize the previously divided Shiah Muslim 'community' or 'crescent' from Syria to Iraq to Iran, in a way which could possibly prove to be untenable for the US to fight and thereby force the US to withdraw. But being forced to withdraw would mean unfavourable terms. Unsure if the 'bargaining' tradeoff (from a mercenary perspective) is getting worse or better for the USA.