King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

During the wait, many people rushed over from the direction of the base...

The ground ravaged by the rocket shells was in terrible condition; the saturation attack left no survivors.

However, Colonel Hadai from the Iraqi Government troops, who had arrived as a matter of routine, panicked upon seeing the doors of the destroyed vehicles spray-painted with the Kurdish flag. He rushed over to Joe Ga and asked, "Hu Lang, what the hell happened here? Why are there so many dead from the Kurdish Workers' Party?"

Pointing to his armored vehicle, Joe Ga smiled and said, "My vehicle is equipped with a recorder, which has a detailed record of what happened."

Upon hearing this, Colonel Hadai breathed a sigh of relief, then said worriedly, "Having evidence is somewhat reassuring. As long as it's certain that they attacked first, the Kurdish have no grounds for complaint."

Thinking of the inexplicably appearing anti-tank missile and the final rocket barrage, Joe Ga touched his nose and said, "Someone is deliberately stirring up trouble between the coalition forces and the Kurdish. They set up an ambush on the road and, just as we were about to meet with the Kurdish, they fired a Javelin missile at them."

Upon hearing this, Colonel Hadai said incredulously, "Just because there was a misunderstanding with them, you wiped them out?"

Running his hands through his hair, which wasn't very thick, Hadai said in agony, "Hu Lang, we're in trouble!"

Joe Ga was quite pleased with Colonel Hadai's use of "we," which reflected the current stance of the Iraqi Government troops.

The Kurdish's passive resistance had caused dissatisfaction among the troops that Hadai represented. Yet, in order to ensure unity and cope with the supervision from their American "father," they had to maintain patience and continuously send reinforcements to Mosul, which was destined to be handed over to Kurdish management.

Now, nearly two hundred people from the Kurdish Workers' Party had died all at once, and it seemed the fault was not entirely theirs, which made Hadai feel troubled...

With ISIS as the target out there, the coalition nature of the forces was not to be shaken. However, having suffered losses, the Kurdish would definitely seek compensation elsewhere. This would be a troublesome matter and someone was bound to be blamed.

Hadai greatly appreciated what P·B had done for Iraq. No matter how much money they had made, they had indeed provided a substantial amount of employment, trade, and rare stability to southern Iraq.

If P·B was driven away because of the Kurdish issue, Hadai believed the Mosul conflict would never see an end.

Seeing Colonel Hadai breaking out in a sweat, Joe Ga patted him on the arm and laughed, "Don't worry, let them come to me if there's an issue.

These men belong to the Workers' Party, meaning they came over from Turkey.

I hold no prejudice against them, but to be fair, these are not Iraqis, and they have brought the malicious gaze of the Turkish with them.

I don't care whether they were provoked or whatever else, they started firing at my men first, and when I was ready to discuss the matter with them, they attacked me.

Hadi, although my main duty here in Iraq is logistics, I am still a mercenary!

If they shoot at me, I take them out; it's quite reasonable!"

Hearing this, Hadai said with difficulty, "Sir, you don't understand. The Baghdad Government has been putting pressure on the Kurdish to increase their troop investment in Mosul."

Leaning closer, Hadai whispered, "The Iranians are unhappy with the situation in Iraq; they think we are too weak and are also pressing our Prime Minister.

If the Kurdish find a handle on us now and cause trouble and delays, the whole of Iraq will be dragged into the confrontation with the Turks."

Hadai wasn't very clear, but Joe Ga understood...

There are clever people among the Kurdish forces. Using the opportunity provided by the American "father," who wants to strike at ISIS, and relying on his support, they've dragged the whole of Iraq down with them.

They have taken in the battered Workers' Party and dragged the whole of Iraq into the fight against Turkish pressure.

The people in the Iraqi Government are also having a hard time. Their country was hammered by America from being the big brother of the Middle East to becoming a little brother.

Unable to detach from the support of Iran next door, and not daring to offend Turkey, their bad neighbor, nor dare to dismiss the opinion of their American "father."

The problem of Mosul has once again dragged them into the Kurdish quagmire.

With the Americans there, they are not too afraid of standing up to Turkey, but doing so is essentially supporting Kurdish independence.

This is like a fly landing in a bowl of rice, with a pile of dog poop nearby. Either you don't eat and starve or you have to pick one, either way, you face an unpalatable choice...

Considering the miserable situation Hadai and his colleagues faced, Joe Ga nodded sympathetically and said, "I get the gist of it, but you've already been dragged into this!

Besides, Mosul is Iraqi land, so it's only right that you do your part."

Upon hearing this, Hadai shook his head with a troubled expression and said, "We want to drive ISIS out and restore peace within our borders, but we are also well aware that we can't satisfy the appetite of the Kurdish.

Hu Lang, the Turks have deployed troops along the border, and it's not just to strike at the Kurdish Workers' Party.

They're worried that if the Kurdish control Mosul, they will cut off the oil pipeline from the northern Iraqi Kirkuk Oil Fields to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan in Turkey."

That pipeline is a crucial source of crude oil and funds for Turkey, representing their strategic core interests.

If the pipeline falls into Kurdish hands, it will become their bargaining chip, and nobody wants to see this situation arise."

Upon hearing this, Joe Ga nodded in understanding...

The oil pipeline is the industrial lifeblood. If the Kurdish control Turkey's industrial lifeblood, then they are at a disadvantage.

No wonder Turkey is willing to risk international condemnation and is preparing to cross the border into Iraq to strike at the Kurds.

This is not merely a strike against the Kurdish Workers' Party, this is about defending their own energy interests.

The Iraqi Government is extremely weak. When they see hope for stability in the south, they don't think about a quick resolution, but about dragging things out.

They're not trying to screw over P·B, but rather, if Mosul is rapidly taken, the influence and power of the Kurds within the country would surge, and then they would be unable to explain themselves to Iran and Turkey, their two troublesome neighbors.

Therefore, in the battle for Mosul, the Iraqi army is behaving very properly, absolutely not harassing civilians, preferring to retreat when faced with issues rather than stubbornly clashing with ISIS.

How could they possibly win that way? How could they possibly keep casualties among their soldiers under control?

Now they just want to drag it out, wait for the Americans to lose patience, wait for NATO to intervene proactively, have daddy America come and solve the problem, and leave the two troublesome neighbors without any excuses to hassle them.

A moment ago, Joe Ga still thought the Kurds had some wise people in their ranks, but now he thinks he's overestimated them.

They can only see immediate benefits but fail to recognize the subsequent problems.

At least Joe Ga knows that the Turkish have received an unspoken approval from the Americans to bomb the Kurds.

The Kurdish are not truly foolish; they lick the blade and gamble with their lives to realize their dreams.

Now they are putting the Iraqi Government in a difficult position on all sides. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't, yet they have to stand firm and support them. They'll definitely reap short-term benefits.

But Joe Ga has no intention of indulging them. The Iraqi Government is his significantly important collaborator with whom he shares weal and woe; the Kurdish armed forces haven't given him anything.

Joe Ga, looking at Colonel Hadai's troubled face and thinking of the imminent Turkish bombing, shook his head sympathetically and said, "Don't count on the Kurdish armed forces to exert much effort. Let's figure this out ourselves.

Tomorrow, we'll set up an evacuation point for the residents in Mosul. We just need to hold it. If we can show the outside world some progress, it will give us something to show to the Americans who are pressuring you."

With that, Joe Ga glanced at the government soldiers who were gathering the bodies of the Kurdish armed forces and nodded with a smile, saying, "If the Kurdish forces make trouble, send them to Mosul Base to find me.

They're eating my food and daring to attack my people; if I don't establish some rules for them, they won't know who they are!"

Hadai was seeing for the first time a foreign military organization leader who didn't shirk responsibility. After thinking for a moment, he gratefully said, "Sir, I really appreciate your understanding and help!"

Joe Ga laughed cheerfully after hearing this, slapped the handsome colonel on the shoulder, and said, "Since we've decided to delay, let's not blindly send soldiers to their death.

Fighting for one house after another results in too many casualties. Let's move to a law enforcement campaign instead.

Send someone into the city to collect information and target ISIS precisely.

If possible, encourage the residents of Mosul to evacuate the city. Take it slow. If we can end the war with as few deaths as possible, even if it takes a bit longer, that would still be a good outcome."

Upon hearing this, Hadai looked at Joe Ga with surprise and confusion, saying, "Sir, you're not with the Americans..."

Joe Ga decisively waved his hand and said, "America is not monolithic. I stand with Ambassador Steven.

Actually, we're more interested in developing the south because, after all, the big oil fields are in the south, right?

Plus, you have to understand military contracting companies are not the same as the American Government.

They can work very hard, but they might be the last ones who want the war to end."

Joe Ga's words were like a reassuring pill. Colonel Hadai, filled with surprise and joy, said, "That's great, that's great. Slow and steady, with fewer deaths...

As long as we can show the international community that we're making progress, that's enough!"

As he spoke, Colonel Hadai looked at Joe Ga, a bit embarrassed, and said, "Sir, we can't turn on the Kurds just yet. I'll try to mediate as much as possible, but if I can't hold out, I might still need you to step in..."

Joe Ga nodded indifferently and said, "You don't have to stand your ground. Just send them to me. I want to see just how hard-headed and foolish these people can be!"

As he spoke, Joe Ga noticed that "Hellhound" and his team, responsible for the search, were coming back. They had left with two vehicles but returned with only one...