[ad_1]
Iraqi political leaders and militiamen on Wednesday condemned the surprise visit by US President Donald Trump to US troops in Iraq, considered a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.
Lawmakers said a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Mr. Trump had been canceled due to disagreement over the venue of the meeting.
Sabah al Saadi, leader of Islah's parliamentary group, called for an urgent session of parliament "to discuss this flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and to put an end to aggressive actions. of Trump who should know his limits: the US occupation of Iraq is over. "
Bina, a rival in Islah's parliament and led by Iran-backed militia leader Hadi al-Amiri, also opposed Trump's trip to Iraq.
"Trump's visit is a blatant violation and shows diplomatic standards and shows his disdain and hostility in his dealings with the Iraqi government," Bina said in a statement.
Abdul Mahdi's office said in a statement that US authorities had informed Iraqi leaders of the president's visit in advance.
According to the statement, the Iraqi prime minister and the US president spoke on the phone because of a "disagreement on how to conduct the meeting".
Iraqi lawmakers said the two men disagreed over the venue of the planned meeting: Trump had asked to meet at Ain al-Asad's military base, an offer that Abdul Mahdi had refused.
Trump's visit comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran as Washington seeks to counter Iran's influence in the Middle East.
The formation of the Iraqi government is also blocked in the intensification of the discord between the blocks of Isla and Bina.
Falih Khazali, a former militia leader who became Bina's political ally, accused the United States of wanting to increase its presence in Iraq.
"The US leadership has been defeated in Iraq and wants to come back under any pretext, and that's what we will never allow," he said.
Bina said that Trump's visit "raises many questions about the nature of the US military presence and its real goals, as well as the role that these objectives could represent for the security of the United States." Iraq".
Although there has been no widespread violence in Iraq since ISIS suffered a series of defeats last year, some 5,200 American soldiers are training and advising Iraqi forces to campaign against the group. activist.
Islah is led by Shiite populist Moqtada al-Sadr.
Sadr has long opposed the US presence in Iraq since the US invasion overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003.
He has led two uprisings against US forces in Iraq and is one of the few Shiite leaders to stand out from Iran.
Iraqi Shia militias, also known as the PMF, many of whom are backed by Iran, oppose the presence of US troops in the region.
The PMF was officially integrated into the security forces this year after helping the army defeat the Islamic State in Iraq in 2017.
Qais al-Khazali, the leader of the powerful Asaib militia Ahl al-Haq, backed by Iran, said on Twitter: "The Iraqis will respond with a decision by Parliament to oust your (US) military forces. And if they do not leave, we have the experience and the opportunity to eliminate them in other ways that your forces know. "
However, some Iraqis were less worried about the US president's visit.
"We will not get anything from America," said Mohammad Abdullah, a Baghdad resident. "They have been in Iraq for 16 years and they have given nothing to the country except destruction and devastation."
Click here for the latest political news
Source link
