Rescue Iraq

Speaking of Leviticus

Perhaps, in your entire life, this phrase will never be heard: "Speaking of Leviticus." Like who wants to dredge up a book of the Bible like Leviticus? How many have really read it, or seriously studied it? Yet, I propose that it is one of the most important books of the Bible. Why? You may ask.

Let me backtrack a bit.

This morning as I opened my Bible I realized I was a bit behind in my scheduled Bible reading. Two days behind actually, which meant I had 30 chapters to read, and lucky me, Leviticus, chapter 1 was my starting point.

Now, I know there must be some folks out there that have dared to part the pages of this Levitical tome, but how many have actually read it straight through in one sitting? I mean, it almost sounds like some torture thought up by a Bible Professor for his incoming Freshman class.

I mean, I don't know anyone that would find themselves locked in some Bible debate, then bring up a finer point of the book by saying, "speaking of Leviticus..." I mean, will that ever happen?

Journey with me for a moment if you will into this legalistic of all books for there are some insights waiting to be discovered if we'll simply take the time.

What is the essence of the book? LAW

Of course, this the main reason most people don't find it applicable in today's era of GRACE.

But, let's break it down a little bit more, here real quick:

• Laws of Acceptable Approach to God - namely how to properly sacrifice to God
• Priestly Laws - how they are to be properly anointed and set apart for God's service
• Laws Regarding Purity - how the people ought to keep themselves holy and clean
• Laws Regarding National Santification - how to properly appear before the Lord on the Day of Atonement... and on and on and on...

You could read them yourself, but you probably don't want to.

But, let me give you a reason to look at Leviticus in a more favorable light.

This one book, more than any of the other books of the Torah, and for that matter the whole Old Testament, must have been the daily musings of who? The Priests, right, for something like 1,500 years and beyond.

It holds the keys to the very definition of Judaism, and sets the Jews apart from every other nation on earth. And up until the time of Christ, this book contained the very "plan of salvation" if you will of every person on earth. For to become a part of the fellowship of God prior to Christ, one must first become a Jew. Is that not right? [Living like them at the very least.] Here it all is in all of it's legal stipulations.

But, you are quick to say, "we have died to the law with all of it's stipulations," and all I can say is a glorious, "Hallelujah!"

Have you ever stopped to consider this verse in Jeremiah, "... I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah... I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

Reading the book of Leviticus this morning made me so overjoyed to know that this book of strident laws with alarming consequences, is now one of heart felt knowledge with God's abundant grace covering all who comes to Him.

Looking back to the centuries and centuries before Christ, have you ever wondered about the number of sacrifices that occurred on a daily basis merely to atone for those people who sinned unintentionally? It must have been staggering. How could someone keep all of those laws, let alone remember them all?

And the results for trangressing those laws are vividly portrayed in the slaying of two of Aaron's sons for bringing improper fire and incense before the Lord. Do you see the stringentness of these commands? That even the High Priest's sons are instantly declared defiled before the Lord and put to death.

The Law came with such terrible fear that honestly was God's intention, "Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.'" (Exodus 20:20) 

Do we really realize what Jesus has saved us from?

Reading some more in Leviticus, we find what is imperitave to the entire Biblical narrative in chapter 17, "It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible." (NLT)

How in the world does the Bible make sense without this concept being implicitly and properly defined? And where else in the Bible do we find it? In Hebrews we find that, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness," barely a mention, but oh, so important.

Then, at the end of Leviticus we find the "blessings for obedience" and the "punishments for disobedience". Two thousand years and one great act on the Cross, separate us from a life with these blessings and curses just hanging over our heads.

That's why we see Peter, in the book of Acts declaring before the assembly of leaders of the church in Jerusalem, "why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?" (15:10)

There is only one possible outcome from trying to obey the laws stipulated in the book of Leviticus, an abject feeling of failure, separation from God, without hope from ever being redeemed. Which is precisely the position God brings us to before He shows us Christ.

I contend that without this feeling of failure and complete helplessness before a righteous and holy God, one cannot properly declare Jesus Christ his Savior.

What need have we of a savior, if our lives are o.k., salvagable by some ingenious work of self-help or internal guidance or luck?

One cannot properly understand the Gospel, and the reason for Christ's death without first understanding the Law that points it's accusing finger at our lives. And it is in the book of Leviticus that this is declared more than anywhere else with such finality and immoveable truth.

So, pick up your Bible again and peel apart the pages between the books of Exodus and Numbers. See the Law in a new light.

Where it was previously believed and emphatically true that "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no name under Heaven given to men, by which we must be saved, the name of the High Priest of God's Temple," today, now rings with a different tone that we are more familiar with that personalizes the High Priest in the very Son of God, who became for you and for me, the ultimate sacrifice -- attested to by the very hand of God tearing in two the dividing wall in the temple forevermore, and in that act putting to death the rules taught and enforced by the High Priest, opening a new era where the very laws of God are now written on man's hearts.

Without Christ, Leviticus would be our "4 spiritual laws", reminding us constantly of the heavy weight of sin, the falleness of man, and the righteousness and holiness of our God.

Keeping the Law would be our constant fear as the perennial "bad news" that would supposedly help keep us from sinning.

Still, it is the faithful and true word of God, AND praised be to God that He has opened up for us a new way, a new path where righteousness from God is obtained by faith, which is emphatically foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to Jews but for us it is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God.

Can you see how this book ought to evoke in us the deepest sense of gratitude, thankfulness, and indebtedness to God's perfect plan of salvation through the shedding of His own's son's blood?

Do you need a pick me up today? Then, read Leviticus and be absorbed into all from which God has set you free -- "canceling the written code against you", and take a cue from King David, "Your laws have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against You."

Amazing to see isn't it how desperately the book of Leviticus is so fundamental to our faith.

"He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." Colossians 2:13b-15

Getting Involved

We have had so many visitors seeking to be a part of God’s work amongst the Kurdish people, just in the last year and a half we’ve helped host 15 international teams. This is in addition to having our own local friends stay with us on another 10 separate occasions. Our home has seemed like a revolving door sometimes as guest after guest pays us a visit and the shoes pile up at our front door.

God must be up to something.

One of the things that really makes this possible is the wonderful home he has provided for us. We have an entire extra floor with 3 spare bedrooms, bathroom, full kitchen, and living area so that visiting teams can feel more at home. Also, many in-country expat groups have made use of our space to hold their own team retreats, personal retreats, and even mini-vacations as we are located up in the mountains amongst some beautiful surroundings.

In addition to the extra floor we have a smaller top floor that naturally became our “Upper Room” where we hope to encourage all of our guests to sow seeds of prayer into this land.

Some of the activities that we’ve been a part of with these groups have been: prayer walking the neighborhoods, passing out Samartian’s Purse Boxes and other humanitarian aid, visiting with local Kurds in outlying villages as well as in the bigger cities, refugee camps, meeting with government officials, joining in local soccer games, hosting soccer camps and games for the children, even arranging for some simple diagnosis and treatment with the help of doctors from the States.



And now, that our community center is nearing its initial stage of usefulness with the completion of the conference room/women’s center, we have even bigger plans to reach out and help the local community with an emphasis on the widows and orphans in our region.

Please be in prayer for us as we begin to offer classes. Pray for wisdom to know what direction to take, the proper teachers for us to work with, and for God’s grace and favor to cover it all.

If you would like to take part in this ministry and get your shoes on the ground here in Northern Iraq, write us an email, and we’ll see what opportunities the Lord opens up.

Soccer Days

Well, we wouldn't be touching the Kurdish soul if we didn't engage with them on some level with their love of soccer. So, this past fall, we coordinated with two Brazilian soccer players, one who used to play professionally to put on an incredible 5 day soccer clinic complete with a final, organized tournament.

We opened it up to the children that live all around our community center, and boy, was it a hit. We only wish we could have allowed more of them to participate.

The first 4 days focused on a different aspect of the game: passing, shooting, dribbling, etc. matching each skill to an important "life lesson" for the children to ponder and take away with them. Then, we divided up the children into different teams representing famous "soccer countries" that competed for the final prize.

All of them got a medal, with special awards given to the top goal scorers, top overall players, and the winningest teams.

Both girls and boys participated, so when the final day arrived the stadium was converged upon by masses of parents and extended family to root for their favorites. What a day it was!

Perhaps, you can capture a bit of the excitement in the following pics:

A Pajama Day for a New Year

The first day of the year began slowly. Getting up we looked out the window to see a multi-chrome picture of greying skies without the least bit of evidence of our helium engorged friend.

It was clearly one of those days. As I was trying to figure out our new, fangled coffee maker my eyes started to swim and my body instantly told me that it did not like my bi-pedal stance. Quickly back to the bedroom I sank into bed with my wife’s words hanging over me, “maybe you just need to stay in bed today.”

For the past 3 days we had been traveling around Kurdistan back and forth from the capital city a couple of times, down the Kirkuk road to visit some earthquake refugees, and over to another Kurdish college town to visit some dear friends with children the same ages as our own. It was a fun-filled time, but nevertheless, exhausting.

New Year’s Eve passed somewhat prematurely at the Ray home as we crawled into bed well before the midnight hour. And now, it was New Year’s Day with the sinus pressure in my head making even thinking a chore.

Dawn prayed for me, then passed me some blueberry muffins and a hot cup of coffee. Ahhh, marriage, isn’t it wonderful!

Before I knew it I was up again, but keeping the pjs on in case my world decided to suddenly take another quick spin. No pressing work to do on New Year’s Day anyway, I thought to myself.

Kurdistan in the winter can be quite the dreary place up here in the mountains.

The rain has been constant the last few days making our world a very muddy, wet place indeed; lack of proper drainage canals or even proper roads make it all the worse.

While in the summer we regularly complain of not having enough water, in the winter, water damage is the norm: water seeping right through our walls, peeling back the paint, dribbling through the window frames and turning our house into a slick, damp, cold habitation. When you’ve got cement walls, well, you just have to live with it.

 

The morning temperature reading stays in the upper 40s most days – that’s inside the house mind you. Outside it usually hovers in the 30s, and this is Iraq you say??? Yes, this is Iraq at 2,300 feet above sea level with mountains as high as 8,500 feet at our door step. With extremes like this perhaps you can forgive the people for being well, a little extreme.

Summer time temperatures reach nearly 125 F, yet right now you’d never guess it as we huddle together in one room around a kerosene heater. We’ve all but forgotten that we have a second and third floor in our house – that’s the “see your breath” parts of the house that we try to avoid.

Central Heating? Ah, no.

This is probably not the picture of Iraq you have seen on television, and it certainly doesn’t hold for the whole of the country. Traveling just 2 hours south of us and down to about 400 feet above sea level, the capital city of Iraqi-Kurdistan, Erbil, rarely sees the kind of rain we get here, as life goes on almost in a near season-less cycle. It’s amazing what a few mountains can do to the regional climate.

We love our trips to Erbil now and then, to get out of the damp mountains and feel some warmer, dry air on our faces. But, we’d just left Erbil the day before, and today, I needed to face not only the wet weather, but a new year to boot.

The day wore on and still my pajamas clung to me, more like pasted to me. I’d been wearing the same socks for nearly 48 hours with long johns beneath. It had been more than a couple days since I showered. Taking a shower is kind of an extreme sport here when the tile floor feels cold enough to give you frost bite.

But by the afternoon, a warm, hot shower finally beckoned to me, so I placed one of our kerosene heaters into the bathroom to warm it up a bit, but alas, no hot water. Dawn had used up the hot water to do laundry, guess this new year’s day is turning more grim than I thought. Maybe I should have stayed in bed.

As the afternoon turned into evening, our power supply always makes a switch from the government electricity that we get from about 1-5pm, to a community/neighborhood generator that gives us another 5-6 hours of power (albeit reduced wattage), before the government power kicks back in through the night. The mornings (9-1pm) we usually do not have power and folks around here have just learned to live with that; for, it’s actually much better than it has been in years past.

We’re not sure exactly why yet, but whenever our power switches from government power to community power our fuse box flips requiring some oversight: the box is on the street by our house.

Below is a photo of our electrician with my neighbor holding the ladder, who came to our house no less than 10 times in the past 2 months to help us with our electricity. Here he is untangling the wires of our generator power cable and just below him you can see a little yellow cover (a Valvoline oil container cut in two) that contains our fuse box.

“Climbing” up the pole where the box is mounted means one thing to me – I better get some clothes on. So, as the sun begins to set (around 4:30 here in the mountains on the far eastern side of the time zone), I’m finally putting on some jeans and a sweater to go flip our switch back on.  After flipping switch at least 7 times it finally sticks, and the lights in the house turn back on. Ahh, electricity.

As you can probably see, Kurdistan has a way of reminding one to be thankful for all the little things one normally forgets.

As the New Year dawns, I pray we’ll find our hearts more thankful than ever for all that God places into our path whether extreme cold or extreme hot, exciting mountain peaks or boring plodding plains, PJ days or days flooded with activity, gentle winds of friendship or the harsh realities of our sinful world. The New Year is God’s year, and I hope His pleasure beams over us more than it ever has before.

Praises for a New Year!

Checking email last night I was informed that we have received over $28,000 towards the building from one church in Niceville, Florida, (my hometown) the United Methodist Church. They decided to take up an advent offering all through December sharing about our work in Northern Iraq through World Orphans. What a joyous way to open up the new year! We are praising God for His abundant provision which continually flows down.

So, we are looking forward to getting to work.

As we finished out 2011, we literally used up all we had in the coffers to get the conference room ready which is really our welcome room right now. Here are a couple pics to show you the progress:

Next steps include finishing the electrical work for the rest of the building, then plastering the bottom floor, installing windows, then tiling. I'm so excited to see things coming together.

Thank you, Lord, for your abundant provision this New Year, and thank you to all who gave from Niceville First United Methodist Church. You shall surely have an inheritance in all the work that goes on here.

What great things 2012 will have in store for us all!

Reaching out to Earthquake Refugees

In the early afternoon of October 23, 2011, a severe earthquake struck Eastern Turkey turning buildings to piles of rubble within seconds and leaving, some estimate, up to 60,000 Kurds instantly homeless, not to mention over 600 dead. Aid agencies along with the Turkish government tried to alleviate the pain and suffering by offering tents and supplies, but as the winter snows began to pile up around them, many decided to leave their homelands and go south.

Some actually migrated all the way down into Iraq, to the warmer desert plains south of Erbil.

Learning about these new refugee families, a few of us decided to gather up some things to share with them. One of our American friends shared the plight of these Kurds from Van, with his Kurdish neighbors, and they ended up with an entire pick-up truck load of food, blankets, clothes, and other supplies.

Together we headed south to their ‘encampment’ – temporary housing supplied by the Kurdish government.

Because they were Turkish speaking Kurds, we were able to easily converse with them and find out their needs and hear their stories. Dawn was able to empathize with them, in particular, and pray for them having lived through the great Istanbul earthquake of ’99.

The families intend on returning to Van in the late spring, but this was our chance to reach out and share God’s love with those with whom we wouldn’t otherwise have crossed paths.

Pray for these refugees that have lost nearly everything they own and thousands others like them that are eeking out an existence in tents in the cold winter still in Eastern Turkey.

 

Let the Nations Tremble!

Just in the past week, the news has declared of earthquakes, nuclear weapons, invasions, subversive paramilitary forces, bombings, attacks, retreats, protests, and killings all within a few hundred miles of us, in some cases just over the next mountain range.

But, more than three weeks back as I was waiting on the Lord, I felt Him speak to my spirit:

"My son there are difficulties yet ahead, but I will be with you, and give you peace. Look not to the right or to the left, focus your attention on Me. You have but 3 months remaining in this year -- world events will terrify you, but hold firm and remember I am your rock upon which you stand. Pursue Me, love me, find me through your faithful devotion to My word. Speak with Me, walk with Me, and you will live -- Fear not for I am with you. Do not give up hope!"

And now, as world events are quite terrifying for one living in this place God has called us to, I feel forced to recall His words and press in like never before.

Reading the Bible this morning I was reminded of who ought to tremble in this world. Psalm 99 boldly declares, "The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble."

When everything around us seems to be falling apart, when even the ground beneath our feet becomes untrustworthy, there is still no need to tremble. God is on His throne!

He has declared that He has given us of His Spirit, that same Spirit that has nothing to do with timidity, but everything to do with Power, Love, and a Sound Mind. This is the reality.

That we are seated with Christ in the Heavenlies and no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

Yes, we declare with the Psalmist, "Let the nations tremble" our souls are at peace!

Thanks for praying for us in these days especially as I believe the outward display of events (at least as the media report it) is only going to get worse.

But, know that no matter what the media declares or how dismal the outlook, God is still on His throne, actively involved in the affairs of men, and using every circumstance, no matter how terrible, for His glory.

There's a God side of the story that rarely gets read. I hope that through our work here, you come to see and have already seen that even in the "valley of the shadow of death" He still works miracles, He still brings salvation, and He still reigns on high!

It does not mean that hardships won't come, but that we never have need to tremble -- that's for the nations to do. Stand with us as we seek to bring peace, to share His light and His truth, and to stand up for the rights of the oppressed, in a land so raked with war and division -- the very intersection point of Turks, Kurds, and Iranians here in Northern Iraq.

Turkey and Iran to co-operate against Kurdish rebels

Last week, I watched the Turkish news as they revealed with grandour at the Turkish military's incursion into Northern Iraq. They are bent on revenge for the deaths of 24 of their compatriots, most of them simple conscripts. A bad move by the PKK whose stated purpose is to bring more freedoms for their countrymen living in Turkey.

Now, not just Turkey but Iran also has agreed to lend her strength to squelch this fledgling but tenacious Kurdish brotherhood, with the United States, NATO, and the UN offering their support as well.

Of course, this has been going on for some time, but now with public opinion strongly in their favor they are able to declare it openly.

Read on. FiratNews Photo

Aljazeera Reports: "Turkey and Iran to co-operate against PKK"

Foreign ministers of two coountries join hands against Kurdish fighters as Turkey resumes offensive for second day

Turkey and Iran have vowed to collaborate in their fight against Kurdish fighters, as thousands of Turkish troops resumed their air and ground offensive against the armed groups in northern Iraq for a second day.

The foreign ministers of the two countries announced plans to co-operate against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its Iranian wing, the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) during a joint news conference held in Ankara on Friday.

"From now on, we will work together in a joint action plan until this terrorist threat is totally eliminated," Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, said.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the Iranian foreign minister, said he will seek more co-operation with Turkey against the fighters near their shared border. He said the PKK and PJAK were "common problems" for both countries.

Davutoglu’s statement came as Turkish jets kept up bombing raids on Kurdish fighter bases, taking off from Diyarbakir, the regional capital of the mainly Kurdish southeast.

The Turkish army has said that "while the majority of the land and air operations are in the Cukurca region [in Turkey], ground and air strikes are ongoing in a few points in northern Iraq across the border".

A small group of specially trained Turkish troops crossed into Iraq from the villages of Yekmal and Bilecan on the Turkish side of the border and entered the Dola Sulo region in Haftanin, the Kurdish news agency Firatnews quoted sources from the PKK as saying.

Attacks 'avoidable'

In the meeting with Davutoglu, Salehi said that the deaths of Turkish soldiers might have been avoided if the US had informed Turkey that the fighters were infiltrating into the country with heavy weaponry.

The US shares intelligence from surveillance drones with Turkey about movement of Kurdish rebels along the border.

Tehran has been carrying out a major offensive against PJAK since July, which Turkey considers a branch of the PKK.

Both armed groups, labeled as terrorist organisations by much of the international community, have been fighting for Kurdish autonomy in their respective countries.

On Thursday, the Turkish army initiated "a large-scale land operation" with 22 battalions against the fighters in five separate spots inside and across the border, according to the general staff.

Around 10,000 soldiers took part in the operation that began in reaction to the killing of 24 Turkish soldiers by the armed group. Around 6,000 of them were Special Forces, the Turkish daily Sabah said.

Meanwhile, Nechirvan Barzani, a former prime minister of the Kurdish regional government, who paid a surprise visit to Ankara on Thursday, said after meeting with the Turkish foreign minister: "We strongly condemn this attack."

The PKK took up arms in Kurdish-majority southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 45,000 lives.

 

Reuters Report: Iran could make atom bomb material despite hurdles

(Reuters) - Iran's nuclear program is struggling with low-performing enrichment machines but it would still be able to produce material that could be used for atomic bombs, according to a U.S. think tank.

In a report coinciding with rising tension between Iran and the West, the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) also said tougher sanctions could make it more difficult for the Islamic state to obtain key parts for its uranium enrichment work.

Enriched uranium -- produced by spinning centrifuges at supersonic speeds to increase the fissile isotope ratio -- can be used to fuel power plants or for the core of a nuclear missile if processed much further.

The ISIS report's findings, published late on Monday, dovetail with Western allegations that Iran's nuclear enrichment program makes little sense from a commercial point of view and that it is part of a covert bid to develop an atomic bomb capability.

Iran says it needs to refine uranium for a planned network of nuclear power plants. Its only existing plant, at Bushehr, was built by Russia and is fueled by Russian enriched uranium.

ISIS said Iran's main enrichment complex at Natanz "is unlikely to ever produce enough LEU (low-enriched uranium) for a nuclear power reactor the size of" Bushehr.

Western experts say tightening sanctions, technical hurdles and possible cyber sabotage have slowed Iran's atomic advances.

But it is still amassing LEU and the experts say it now has enough to make at least two bombs if refined much more, should it decide to. Iran denies seeking to develop nuclear arms.

For years, Tehran has been seeking to replace the breakdown-prone 1970s vintage IR-1 model of centrifuge it now uses to refine uranium, but the changeover has been hampered by sanctions restricting access to vital parts, analysts say.

ISIS said the average monthly production of LEU had risen but that the number of centrifuges had grown disproportionately.

"During the past year, the performance of the IR-1 centrifuges ... has faltered," ISIS said. Iran is also facing a shortage of crucial material called maraging steel, "sharply limiting the number of IR-1 centrifuges it can make."

In September, a U.N. nuclear watchdog report said Iran had begun installing two newer versions for larger-scale testing.

Such machines would allow Iran to produce refined uranium much faster -- potentially also reducing the time needed to make weapons-grade material -- but analysts say it remains unclear whether it can build them in sufficient numbers.

Iran's decision in early 2010 to raise the level of some enrichment from the 3.5 percent purity needed for normal power plant fuel to 20 percent worried Western states that saw this as a significant step toward the 90 percent needed for bombs.

Iran says it will use 20 percent uranium to fuel a Tehran research reactor making isotopes to treat cancer patients.

"Is the Iranian enrichment program on a trajectory toward being dedicated to producing weapon-grade uranium for nuclear weapons?" ISIS asked and replied: "Unfortunately, despite its severe limitations, this program is able to do so."

(Reporting by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Karolina Tagaris)

 

US pullback to leave 30,000 Iranian Al Qods fighters sitting in Iraq

DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis October 23, 2011 -

Ten days have gone by since President Barack Obama accused Iran of instigating a foiled plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington last April. Yet neither the US nor Saudi Arabia has done anything about it – even at the UN.

Friday, Oct. 21, Obama reaffirmed that all US soldiers will be brought home from Iraq by the end of the year. Two days later, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged in Tajikistan: "To countries in the region, especially Iraq's neighbors, we want to emphasize that American will stand with our allies and friends, including Iraq, in defense of our common security and interests."

She spoke as the Obama administration was preparing to pull out of Iraq, leaving in Baghdad a government and national army incapable of defending the country against widening cycles of terror, headed by a prime minister under Tehran's thumb and more than 30,000 armed members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' terrorist arm, al Qods Brigades, deployed there.
Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki is so completely in thrall to Iran that he was afraid to accede to Washington's insistent demand for immunity to be extended to at least 5,000 US soldiers remaining in Iraq, although left on his own he would have been inclined to do so.
The eight-year US military presence in Iraq ends therefore leaving Iran sitting pretty on its two key strategic goals:

1. The exit of American soldiers, whose presence in Iraq since the 2003 invasion was deemed in Tehran a continuous threat to its borders. US military involvement in Afghanistan is seen in the same light.

2.  A weak Shiite-led government in place in Baghdad, heavily dependent on Tehran's will. Torn by strife among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, Iraq is in no state to obstruct Iran's hegemonic plans for the Persian Gulf and Syria.

The Iranian regime's right hand for achieving those goals was – and is - Al Qods commander Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the man also accused by Washington of masterminding the assassination plot.

Washington is well aware of Soleimani's capacity for interfering with American interests. Indeed he crows about it.

Last July, US sources leaked a message he posted in 2008 to Gen. David Petraeus, then head of US Central Command and now CIA Director: "General Petraeus, you should know that I, Qassem Suleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and Afghanistan. And indeed, the ambassador in Baghdad is a Quds Force member. The individual who's going to replace him is a Quds Force member."

He was flaunting his control of Baghdad at American expense.
Since then, he has expanded this control, DEBKAfile's military sources report, by injecting 30,000 al Qods fighting personnel into Iraq, all trained in guerrilla tactics to the standards of Western and Middle East elite units.

At least half are deployed in Baghdad in the guise of bodyguard units Iraqi government members and political figures have hired from local firms. Most of the Shiite figures in government and parliament are now using al Qods details for protection. This makes the easily vulnerably to manipulation from Tehran.

Today, Al Qods has the run of Baghdad's Green Zone, the top-security enclave built a cost of billions of American dollars to keep the US embassy and high commands in Iraq and its seat of government safe from terrorist bombs.
After the US military drawdown in just over two months, the 16,000 US embassy staffers remain in the Green Zone, including 5,000 security officers from civilian contractors.

They will stand eyeball to eyeball with a like number of al Qods operatives defending the pro-Iranian Iraqi government. It is on this jarring note that America is about to end its war in Iraq.