Popular Forces Outraged Over American Presence
No Timetable for U.S. Troops Pullout From Iraq: Pentagon
BAGHDAD (Dispatches) – U.S. Assistant to the Secretary of Defense John Kirby says there are no agreements with Baghdad regarding a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Kirby’s remarks contradict a joint statement issued on Wednesday, after the end of the third round of strategic talks between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein that took place via closed-circuit television, indicating that the troops’ evacuation process is underway.
During his daily press conference, Kirby stated that what was mentioned in the joint statement about: "Reaching a consensus regarding the continuation of the process of withdrawing U.S. combat forces in Iraq” does not in actuality mean that the evacuation will begin.
On Wednesday, the U.S. and Iraq announced in a joint statement that they have agreed on the eventual withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq, while a remaining mission of U.S. troops will be focused on what was called "training” Iraqi troops.
The statement, however, said the two governments have not yet worked out the timing of the American forces’ withdrawal and would hold discussions on the matter.
About 2,500 U.S. troops are in Iraq on the pretext of fighting Daesh terrorists.
A faction of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, has rejected as offensive the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq under the pretext of "protecting” the Arab country, calling the existence of U.S. bases in Iraq a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
"To say that Iraq needs foreign forces to defend its territory is an insult to the Iraqi military and security institutions, including the army and Hashd al-Sha’abi,” Qais Khazali, who leads the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq resistance group, wrote in a tweet.
Khazali said it was the Iraqi fighters who managed to defeat the Daesh terrorist group and its sponsors without needing the assistance of foreign troops.
Khazali said since Daesh elements have become a security threat rather than a military threat, the U.S. air force is no longer needed and Iraq should rely on its own air force.
He called on the Iraqi negotiating team not to allow Americans to find new excuses to extend their presence on Iraq’s soil, adding that the Americans are seeking "permits” to stay in Iraq through justifying their presence.
Kirby’s remarks contradict a joint statement issued on Wednesday, after the end of the third round of strategic talks between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein that took place via closed-circuit television, indicating that the troops’ evacuation process is underway.
During his daily press conference, Kirby stated that what was mentioned in the joint statement about: "Reaching a consensus regarding the continuation of the process of withdrawing U.S. combat forces in Iraq” does not in actuality mean that the evacuation will begin.
On Wednesday, the U.S. and Iraq announced in a joint statement that they have agreed on the eventual withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq, while a remaining mission of U.S. troops will be focused on what was called "training” Iraqi troops.
The statement, however, said the two governments have not yet worked out the timing of the American forces’ withdrawal and would hold discussions on the matter.
About 2,500 U.S. troops are in Iraq on the pretext of fighting Daesh terrorists.
A faction of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, has rejected as offensive the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq under the pretext of "protecting” the Arab country, calling the existence of U.S. bases in Iraq a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
"To say that Iraq needs foreign forces to defend its territory is an insult to the Iraqi military and security institutions, including the army and Hashd al-Sha’abi,” Qais Khazali, who leads the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq resistance group, wrote in a tweet.
Khazali said it was the Iraqi fighters who managed to defeat the Daesh terrorist group and its sponsors without needing the assistance of foreign troops.
Khazali said since Daesh elements have become a security threat rather than a military threat, the U.S. air force is no longer needed and Iraq should rely on its own air force.
He called on the Iraqi negotiating team not to allow Americans to find new excuses to extend their presence on Iraq’s soil, adding that the Americans are seeking "permits” to stay in Iraq through justifying their presence.