US website: Iraq is witnessing radical transformations, and Trump’s envoy should visit Baghdad.
US website: Iraq is witnessing radical transformations, and Trump’s envoy should visit Baghdad.
8-12-2025
Al-Maalomah/Translation..
A report by the American Enterprise website, Tuesday, confirmed that Iraq is witnessing radical developments and transformations at the structural and political levels, and that US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff must deal with the new Iraq with greater attention, as it is no longer the country that some still see as if it were still in 2003.
The report, translated by Al-Maalomah Agency, stated that “in just the past two years, Baghdad has undergone a radical transformation. Traffic flows smoothly through the former Green Zone, a new highway adjoins the Tigris River in the heart of the city, and bridges and elevated highways now cross Baghdad’s famous roundabouts. The multi-billion-dollar US Embassy once dominated the banks of the Tigris River; now, it is dwarfed by high-rise apartments and famous hotels such as the Mövenpick and Rixos, which are nearing completion and will soon cater to the hundreds of businessmen who pass through Baghdad daily to secure their share of the country’s sought-after deals.”
“In Washington, supporters and analysts see President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq as the original sin, the ultimate example of the forever war that both Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump have promised to end. Iraqis have a more nuanced view,”
he continued. “Iraqis say a significant portion of the money funding investments is Iraqi. Iraqi businessmen may seek outside partners and franchises, but they have their own money to spend. In Iraqi Kurdistan, one of the most corrupt regions in the Middle East, locals say new housing complexes are empty or have occupancy rates of less than 20 percent. Visiting friends in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah’s newest complexes can be like walking through deserted tower blocks, where the lights are off and only one or two signs of life are visible on each floor. In Baghdad, a growing population makes housing projects a necessity. 60 to 70 percent of the country’s population was not even born when the war began in 2003, and the generational shift has injected new energy into the country.”
The report indicated that “Trump avoids involving the United States in wars, preferring business over diplomatic or military strategies to advance American interests. His choice of envoys—Steve Witkoff and Massad Boulos, respectively, for the Middle East and Africa—reflects this. However, Witkoff has not yet arrived in Baghdad. This is a serious omission, given that many in Trump’s circle and those around him view Iraq through the prism of 2003 rather than 2025. The two countries are very different.”
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