With Trump Refusing to Set Pullout Timetable:
BAGHDAD – Iraq’s anti-terror groups have called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces in line with the Iraqi parliament’s decision requiring that foreign troops leave the Arab country.
Armed Iraqi factions threatened to target U.S. interests in the country after President Donald Trump declined to give a timetable for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq during an Oval Office meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Thursday.
A statement issued by armed groups calling themselves the "Resistance Factions” criticized the agenda of al-Kadhimi’s meetings which did not include the immediate implementation of the decision to remove U.S. troops from the country.
The statement said, "Al-Kadhimi must make the implementation of the decision of the Iraqi people his top priority, taking into consideration that millions of Iraqis have taken to the street to say that U.S. occupation … must end, prompting the government and parliament to implement the people’s decision and remove the occupation forces.”
More than 17 years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Trump said Thursday the United States would eventually withdraw all American troops from the conflict-ridden nation, though he did not provide a timetable.
"At some point, we obviously will be gone,” Trump said in his meeting with al-Kadhimi. "We look forward to the day when we don’t have to be there,” he added before the two men met privately.
There are currently about 5,000 troops in Iraq. Their assignments include alleged counter-terrorism operations and training Iraqi security forces.
Throughout their battle with foreign-backed terrorists, several Iraqi officials and military commanders came forth to reveal that U.S. troops were in fact assisting the terrorists.
The U.S. military was caught on cameras airdropping arms and munitions in areas controlled by Daesh terrorists. Iraqi fighters and their commanders in battlefields said they repeatedly saw Iraqi troops airlifting Daesh commanders from their besieged positions to safety.
At other occasions, they saw the positions of Iraqi fighters come under attack by American forces.
On Friday, Middle East Eye news website revealed how Hadi al-Amiri, commander of Badr Organization, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, former deputy head of Hashd al-Sha’abi, were targeted in a laser-guided drone attack at the Tal Afar air base on November 24, 2016.
Trump told reporters before his meeting with the Iraqi leader that the U.S. military had very few troops left in Iraq, but was there to help the country if neighboring Iran should do anything.
He said U.S. companies were involved in many prospects in Iraq’s oil business, as al-Kadhimi declared his country open for American business and investment.
Al-Kadhimi took office in May amid growing tensions between the United States and Iraq.
Iraq’s government objected to a Trump-authorized drone strike in January that martyred Iran’s iconic anti-terror commander General Qassem Soleimani who was visiting Baghdad and Muhandis. The terrorist assassination inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment in Iraq and prompted calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Trump threatened Iraq with sanctions if the country’s leaders followed through on threats to expel U.S. forces over the drone strike.
Armed Iraqi factions threatened to target U.S. interests in the country after President Donald Trump declined to give a timetable for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq during an Oval Office meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Thursday.
A statement issued by armed groups calling themselves the "Resistance Factions” criticized the agenda of al-Kadhimi’s meetings which did not include the immediate implementation of the decision to remove U.S. troops from the country.
The statement said, "Al-Kadhimi must make the implementation of the decision of the Iraqi people his top priority, taking into consideration that millions of Iraqis have taken to the street to say that U.S. occupation … must end, prompting the government and parliament to implement the people’s decision and remove the occupation forces.”
More than 17 years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Trump said Thursday the United States would eventually withdraw all American troops from the conflict-ridden nation, though he did not provide a timetable.
"At some point, we obviously will be gone,” Trump said in his meeting with al-Kadhimi. "We look forward to the day when we don’t have to be there,” he added before the two men met privately.
There are currently about 5,000 troops in Iraq. Their assignments include alleged counter-terrorism operations and training Iraqi security forces.
Throughout their battle with foreign-backed terrorists, several Iraqi officials and military commanders came forth to reveal that U.S. troops were in fact assisting the terrorists.
The U.S. military was caught on cameras airdropping arms and munitions in areas controlled by Daesh terrorists. Iraqi fighters and their commanders in battlefields said they repeatedly saw Iraqi troops airlifting Daesh commanders from their besieged positions to safety.
At other occasions, they saw the positions of Iraqi fighters come under attack by American forces.
On Friday, Middle East Eye news website revealed how Hadi al-Amiri, commander of Badr Organization, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, former deputy head of Hashd al-Sha’abi, were targeted in a laser-guided drone attack at the Tal Afar air base on November 24, 2016.
Trump told reporters before his meeting with the Iraqi leader that the U.S. military had very few troops left in Iraq, but was there to help the country if neighboring Iran should do anything.
He said U.S. companies were involved in many prospects in Iraq’s oil business, as al-Kadhimi declared his country open for American business and investment.
Al-Kadhimi took office in May amid growing tensions between the United States and Iraq.
Iraq’s government objected to a Trump-authorized drone strike in January that martyred Iran’s iconic anti-terror commander General Qassem Soleimani who was visiting Baghdad and Muhandis. The terrorist assassination inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment in Iraq and prompted calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Trump threatened Iraq with sanctions if the country’s leaders followed through on threats to expel U.S. forces over the drone strike.
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