Iraqi Political Groups Urge Ending Security Deal With U.S.

Date: 26 January 2019 - 21:25

News ID: ۶۲۵۱۱

BAGHDAD (Tasnim) – Iraqi political groups have stepped up their efforts to cancel a security cooperation agreement with the U.S. and push for the withdrawal of American troops from the Arab country.
According to the Arabic-language newspaper Al Akhbar, Iraqi political groups have sought to pass legislation to end the presence of foreign forces in the war-stricken country.
Sabah Al-Saedi, the leader of Iraq’s Sairoon Alliance supported by Muqtada al-Sadr, submitted a draft law to Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi to end the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and speed up the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.
In a statement, Saedi confirmed the draft law and described the struggle to end the U.S. presence in Iraq "as a national mission” which all Iraqis should contribute to.
He said that while the mission is not limited to the government or parliament, the parliament can accelerate this process and the government can enforce it.
Following U.S. President Donald Trump's secret visit to Iraq in December, political groups in the country have stepped up their efforts to persuade the parliament to stand against the presence of U.S. forces in the Arab country, according to the report.
For the first time since he became U.S. president almost two years ago, Trump paid a surprise visit to American troops in Iraq on December 26. He landed at an airbase west of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where he thanked the soldiers for their service.
But Trump’s planned meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi was canceled over a dispute about the location of the meeting.
Meanwhile, Iraqi political parties and figures have condemned Trump’s visit as a violation of their country’s sovereignty.

A member of the Iraqi security forces stands guard in front of the local government headquarters in the southern city of Basra, in Iraq, on September 18, 2018.