We never were very good with those I words

US starts retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran-linked targets

We're mad at Iran so we bomb Iraq. Oops, did it again. And Syria, of course. We bomb Syria a lot. They just have it coming.

[OK, shouldn't be flip about such a serious subject. Maybe the Syrians don't have it coming. Maybe they have it going.]

Speaking of going, we are…

Baghdad and Washington, meanwhile, have agreed to set up a committee to start talks on the future of the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq, with the aim of setting a timetable for a phased withdrawal of troops and the end of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State.

…going. But not right now. Don't want to rush into these things. It's not Afghanistan.

Things are getting so bad I have to look up "Middle East" in Wikipedia just to remember what's going on there. 

[White House national security spokesman John] Kirby said the Iraqi government was notified about Friday's strikes ahead of time.

 At least somebody knew.

Maybe we're not mad at Iraq, really. Maybe we're just…mad.