AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): While Iraq is busy with government formation debate and all of its developments in the past few months revolved around this issue, Lieutenant General Qais al-Muhamadawi, the deputy chief of staff of army, on March 3 announced a Baghdad plan to build a wall along the western borders with Syria.
Over the past years, border walls have found their place in the new world order to counter terrorism and also migration waves. But the Iraqi border wall plan should not be considered as motivated by the security cliché; rather we need to pay attention to covert and overt aspects. In other words, we aim to examine the behind-the-scenes hands that are pushing for this border wall between the Arab neighbors.
Iraqi government's goals behind the wall construction
The main justification presented by Baghdad government for constructing the wall is counterterrorism. It is a reality that the movement of ISIS terrorists on the Iraqi-Syrian border has been one of the most challenging issues for the Iraqi security forces in the fight against terrorism. In order to address the challenge, Damascus and Baghdad have repeatedly emphasized on strengthening the security of the common borders, preventing the infiltration of terrorists through them, and exchanging security information.
Lieutenant General al-Muhamadawi held that the joint border command under the central command has taken "extraordinary measures" for securing of the borders, especially the western borders, with Syria. Still, the government plans a border wall in this region. Although the current arrangements can guarantee security, Baghdad tries to establish a "unique defense line" for the army to defend borders, he went on.
Generally speaking, the Iraqi government's goal is to facilitate more effective fight against terrorism and strengthen its western borders with Syria. Officials in Baghdad have realized in recent years that the most vulnerable spot in terms of security is the border with Syria. The easy flow of ISIS fighters to Iraq from Syria in 2014 bears witness to this fact. Therefore, the officials of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi government are now seeking to use all possible tools and strategies to protect the security of the border strip with Syria, with their newest plan being the border wall project.
Behind-the-scenes US plan under the ruse of fight against terrorism
Iraq focuses on anti-ISIS fight as a justification for the wall project but we can track a US scheme behind this plan. Unveiling the wall plan comes as in March 2021, Iraqi sources talked about an American arrangement to secure its forces present in Iraq's west and near the border with Syria.
Two goals may drive the secret US plan. The first goal is pressuring the central Iraqi government to construct a wall to physically separate Syrian territories from western parts of Iraq's Anbar province so that the American forces can tighten their grip on Syrian areas under their control.
The second US plan is harming the unity of the forces of Axis of Resistance, an anti-American regional bloc led by Iran and containing Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Palestine. By persuading Iraq to construct the wall, the US wants to limit and even end security cooperation between Baghdad and Damascus, and in a broader sense among Axis of Resistance components.
With these in mind, in examining this wall, we need to take into consideration two issues: Firstly, Iraq says the wall is for security. If the security is a priority, why is this concrete wall is planned to be constructed only in Anbar, which shares borders with Syrian areas controlled by the American forces. Why not all Syrian-Iraqi borders covered? Moreover, this wall is from concrete and so is easily breakable.
Secondly, according to estimations, such a wall near the American forces' location in Syria will cost Iraq $17 million. Baghdad government is to pay the bill while the country has been in a serious financial crunch and budget deficit in recent years.
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