Iraqi MPs condemn Trump’s visit to Iraq, call for US withdrawal

TEHRAN (defapress) – Main factions in Iraqi Parliament have condemned the US President’s visit to their country as a blow to Iraqi sovereignty, calling for immediate withdrawal of US troops.

News ID: 74585

Date: 27 December 2018 - 14:34

The US President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq last night in violation of Iraqi sovereignty, while Iraqi lawmakers have strongly condemned the move.

According to Reuters, Iraqi political and militia leaders condemned US President Donald Trump’s surprise visit to US troops in Iraq on Wednesday as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, and lawmakers said a meeting between Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi was canceled due to a disagreement over venue.

The main blocs in Iraqi Parliament including Islah and Bina strongly objected to Trump’s visit as a ‘flagrant and clear violation of diplomatic norms.’

Sabah al Saadi, the leader of the Islah parliamentary bloc, called for an emergency session of parliament “to discuss this blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and to stop these aggressive actions by Trump who should know his limits: The US  occupation of Iraq is over.”

Bina said Trump’s visit “places many question marks on the nature of the US. military presence and its real objectives, and what these objectives could pose to the security of Iraq.”

Qais al-Khazali, the leader of the powerful Asaib Ahl al-Haq said on Twitter “Iraqis will respond with a parliamentary decision to oust your (US) military forces. And if they do not leave, we have the experience and the ability to remove them by other means that your forces are familiar with.”

Iraqi lawmakers told Reuters that the pair had disagreed over where their planned meeting should take place: Trump had asked to meet at the Ain al-Asad military base, an offer which the Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi declined.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s office issued a statement saying that US authorities had informed Iraq’s leadership of the president’s visit ahead of time. The statement said the Iraqi prime minister and US president talked by telephone due to a “disagreement over how to conduct the meeting.”

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