Opinion: Trump is playing with fire to save his presidency
For Nader Entessar and Kaveh Afrasiabi, any analysis of Soleimani’s assassination must take into account Trump’s domestic considerations, the two academics write for Middle East Eye.
“But it would be a mistake to reduce the sum of US President Donald Trump’s intentions behind the recent air strikes -and most importantly a miscalculated risk like Soleimani's assassination - to the external circumstances in Iraq and the region, and to overlook the distinct possibility that Trump is drawing from the old playbook of instigating a foreign crisis as a diversion from the domestic perils to his presidency. This recalls how Bill Clinton, back in 1998, ordered an air strike on Iraq on the eve of an important impeachment vote.”
While the attack might distract from Trumps’ troubles at home, they warn, the tactic might seriously backfire.
“Sadly, as his misguided policies with respect to both Iran and Iraq clearly show, Trump is not only repeating the impeachment ploy of his predecessor, but he is also on the verge of recycling the errors of the Bush-era wars in the Middle East.”