Global Conflicts: A Never-Ending Cycle of Violence

A recent observation by US President Donald Trump that American ventures into Iraq this century have been a "very expensive excursion into hell" may ring true for many, given the ongoing struggles in the region. The US military recently completed its withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, but the country's future remains uncertain.

"It's been a long time with very bad decision making that got us involved in this quagmire in the first place," Trump said. "It was a quagmire. For many, many years it lasted. But soon that part of history will be over."

The US withdrawal has left a vacuum in the fragile and unstable state, which is already embroiled in the Iranian war due to the involvement of Iranian-backed militias. Trump's next moves against Iran are unclear, with the US talking about foiling Iran's nuclear capabilities, but the president's bargaining position and goals are still unclear.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz claimed this week that Iran is enriching uranium to 60 per cent with "no credible civilian purpose". But with the US mid-term elections approaching, most analysts believe Trump will be reluctant to escalate action against Iran before November 3.

Trump's ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, faces his own election on October 27 and is under pressure due to revelations about his knowledge of and culpability for a major lapse in Israeli intelligence. Netanyahu has branded the stories as "lies", but other governments have not denied them.

The former head of Israel's domestic counter-intelligence agency Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, announced he will sue Netanyahu for defamation over the PM's claims he was not told of any threats by his officials, saying he had warned the PM "of an impending disaster, and he ignored me".

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also made statements that appeared to confirm earlier reporting that there had been a window in which the Israeli government could have got hostages back from Gaza, but refused to act.

Netanyahu's opponents have accused him of trying to exploit a recent incident involving a flydubai plane, while his supporters argue it shows he had been right to issue an unspecified alarm. Israel's election is being fought in an environment where its own war aims seem likely to create as much of a mire as Iraq once did.

The world now seems to be facing a much broader, multi-fronted and expensive incursion into hell, with conflicts escalating in various regions, including Ukraine, where Russian President Vladimir Putin finds himself bogged down in the frontline battle.