BAGHDAD (Press TV) – Iraqi Kata’ib Hezbollah resistance movement has emphasized that American military troops must withdraw from the Arab country, and it is ready to force the occupation troops to do so.
The anti-terror group, which is part of the Popular Mobilization Units – better known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha’abi – announced in a statement on Thursday that it has and will firmly oppose the dominance of “evil” colonial powers over the natural resources of Iraq.
The statement noted that Kata’ib Hezbollah will continue to carry out its duties regardless of pressures and challenges it might face.
“All resistance groups have become a thorn in the eye of the American enemy. We are fully prepared to once again drive U.S. troops out of Iraq in humiliation,” it also read.
Kata’ib Hezbollah warned that further surprises await American occupation troops in case they insist on their presence on the Iraqi soil.
Jafar al-Hussaini, spokesman for Kata’ib Hezbollah movement, said Iraq’s resistance factions would not target diplomatic missions in the country, describing attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone as false-flag operations aimed at deceiving the Iraqi nation.
Meanwhile, Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, said the United States does not intend to withdraw its forces from Iraq, stressing that the cost of continued presence of American forces in the country will be heavy.
“U.S. overflights in Iraq are aimed at espionage purposes. Baghdad-Washington negotiations will not result in the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. This is just a deception game,” he added.
Khazali described the Iraqi government’s negotiations with the United States and the agreement purportedly ending the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by the end of 2021 as “deceptive” and “bogus.”
He said the agreement does not explicitly state the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, and fails short of addressing violation of the Iraqi airspace by U.S. military aircraft.
“The agreement has simply been struck in order to change the title of U.S. forces. This is what we had earlier reported about. U.S. overflights in Iraq are being carried out to spy on resistance groups. Our demand concerning the pullout of foreign military forces is legitimate,” Khazali said.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Monday sealed an agreement formally ending the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by the end of the current year, more than 18 years after U.S. troops were sent to the Arab country.