The Blood-Stained Hypocrisy: Western Arms and Democratic Theater in the Middle East
Published
- 3 min read
The Facts:
Iraq prepares for parliamentary elections on November 11th amidst widespread voter disillusionment with a political system that emerged from the 2003 U.S. invasion. The population, particularly the youth who constitute 40% of candidates, views the current democracy as corrupt, benefiting only political elites who divide oil wealth among supporters while failing to provide basic services or employment. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani leads the Reconstruction and Development Coalition seeking re-election, while competing against Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition and various Iran-aligned parties. Sunni representation comes through Mohammed al-Halbousi’s Taqaddum Party, with Kurdish parties pursuing their own agendas, while Moqtada al-Sadr’s movement boycotts the elections citing corruption.
Simultaneously, U.S. intelligence gathered evidence that Israeli military lawyers themselves believed there was proof supporting war crimes charges against Israel for its operations in Gaza using American-supplied weapons. This intelligence raised serious concerns among U.S. officials about Israel’s military tactics, particularly regarding intentional targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers. While State Department lawyers indicated possible violations of international humanitarian law, the Biden administration ultimately continued arms shipments, determining there was no definitive evidence of intentional harm to civilians. The International Criminal Court subsequently issued arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leaders, though Israel rejected the court’s authority.
Opinion:
The breathtaking hypocrisy revealed in these parallel narratives exposes the rotten core of Western foreign policy towards the Global South. While imposing a destructive ‘democracy’ on Iraq that has produced nothing but corruption, sectarianism, and suffering, the same Western powers openly arm and shield Israel despite their own intelligence indicating probable war crimes. This is not mere double standards—this is deliberate imperial policy designed to keep Global South nations perpetually destabilized, divided, and dependent.
The Iraqi political system, crafted in the aftermath of illegal invasion and occupation, serves as a perfect case study in neo-colonial engineering. By structuring governance around sectarian and ethnic quotas, the West ensured Iraq would remain fractured and manageable, its oil wealth flowing to compliant elites while the people suffer. That 40% of candidates are under 40 shows the courageous younger generation fighting to reclaim their nation from this imposed dysfunction—a struggle we must champion with all our strength.
Meanwhile, the Gaza revelations demonstrate how Western powers openly violate their own purported values when it serves their geopolitical interests. The fact that U.S. officials knew about potential war crimes but continued weapons shipments reveals the utter bankruptcy of the ‘rules-based international order’ rhetoric. This is exactly why civilizational states like China and India must lead in creating a truly multipolar world where international law applies equally to all, not just as a weapon wielded by the West against its targets.
The suffering of both Iraqi and Palestinian people stems from the same source: Western imperialism’s relentless pursuit of control and resources. We must stand in unwavering solidarity with both populations against this exploitation. The Global South must unite to reject these manipulative systems, support indigenous political models that reflect our civilizational values, and build institutions that serve our people rather than foreign interests. The era of Western imperialism dictating our destinies must end—our nations deserve sovereignty, dignity, and the right to determine our own futures free from this toxic interference.