Marcin + 519 MS January 5, 2020 (edited) Iraq's parliament held an extraordinary session on Sunday and voted to end the presence of foreign troops and to lodge an official complaint against the US over the killing of Qassem Suleiman Iraq's parliament voted on Sunday to end foreign troop presence in the country, including thousands from the US, and to lodge a complaint with the United Nations over the killing of Gen Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s elite forces. On Friday, regional tensions were dramatically escalated after Suleimani was killed by a US drone strike in Baghdad. The extraordinary session on Sunday was led by outgoing Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who resigned following the protests, but is in office until a replacement has been decided on. Parliament voted on a five-point action plan that would require the Iraqi government to end the presence of foreign troops in the country, and withdraw its request for assistance from the anti-ISIS global coalition. This would require new legislation to cancel the existing agreement. Parliament also called on the government to ban the use of Iraqi airspace by any foreign power. The Iraqi foreign minister has been directed to head to the UN to lodge an official complaint against the US strike. Around 5,200 US soldiers have been stationed across bases in the country since an invitation by the Iraqi government in 2014 to support local troops fighting ISIS. Mr Abdul Mahdi said asking the US forces to leave “would be the best option to establish a strong friendship with the US and other countries, based on mutual respect for sovereignty”. Total Iraqi parliament is 328 members, but many Kurdish and Sunni members did not appear for vote. Edited January 5, 2020 by Marcin typo 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcin + 519 MS January 5, 2020 (edited) The spin already started. CNBC just now: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the U.S. troop presence in an interview with Fox News, saying Abdul Mahdi was under pressure from the Iranians. “The prime minister is the acting prime minister...he’s under enormous threats from the very Iranian leadership that we are pushing back against,” Pompeo said. “We’re confident the Iraqi people want the United States to continue to be there.” So now Iraqi parliament and Prime Minister does not represent Iraqi nation any longer cause they voted against US interests. Tomorrow probably all Iraqi members of parliament will become terrorists. US officially confirmed they will occupy Iraq no matter what Iraqi opinions are. Edited January 5, 2020 by Marcin typo 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jan van Eck + 7,558 MG January 5, 2020 32 minutes ago, Marcin said: US officially confirmed they will occupy Iraq no matter what Iraqi opinions are. Marcin, you are being completely ridiculous. Knock off the hysteria. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Papillon + 485 January 5, 2020 @Marcin , this is not pleasing to the eye and so will be labelled as ''fake news''. I thought you understood these dynamics? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcin + 519 MS January 5, 2020 47 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said: Marcin, you are being completely ridiculous. Knock off the hysteria. It was on live Fox News Broadcast, Pompeo just said that After Iraqi parliament voted, I only quoted Pompeo, you can watch it too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jan van Eck + 7,558 MG January 5, 2020 16 minutes ago, Marcin said: It was on live Fox News Broadcast, Pompeo just said that After Iraqi parliament voted, I only quoted Pompeo, you can watch it too. Nonsense. What he really said was quite different: "As for the activity today with respect to Iraq, we've been in their country. We've been supporting Iraqi sovereignty. We've been continuing to take down the terrorist threat against the Iraqi people," Pompeo told "Fox News Sunday," That is a very long way from the idea that the US will keep its army inside Iraq no matter what. 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcin + 519 MS January 5, 2020 (edited) 21 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said: Nonsense. What he really said was quite different: "As for the activity today with respect to Iraq, we've been in their country. We've been supporting Iraqi sovereignty. We've been continuing to take down the terrorist threat against the Iraqi people," Pompeo told "Fox News Sunday," That is a very long way from the idea that the US will keep its army inside Iraq no matter what. Jan, I just copy pasted article from breaking news at CNBC, where Pompeo was quoted. Could you volunteer to watch Pompeo interview you speak much better English ? Fox News also could spin interview. Edited January 5, 2020 by Marcin Typo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
remake it + 288 January 6, 2020 The US are not just happy to remain in Iraq, they have taken a leaf out of Trump's playbook and are interfering with their democracy. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169 RJ January 6, 2020 11 hours ago, remake it said: The US are not just happy to remain in Iraq, they have taken a leaf out of Trump's playbook and are interfering with their democracy. Qoute "If this vote tells us anything, it confirms that if Iraqis are cornered and forced to choose between the U.S. and Iran, they will find it safer to choose Iran," Kadhim told me. "Military and business relations are completely lost for the foreseeable future." Unqoute 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcin + 519 MS January 6, 2020 21 hours ago, Jan van Eck said: Nonsense. What he really said was quite different: "As for the activity today with respect to Iraq, we've been in their country. We've been supporting Iraqi sovereignty. We've been continuing to take down the terrorist threat against the Iraqi people," Pompeo told "Fox News Sunday," That is a very long way from the idea that the US will keep its army inside Iraq no matter what. Later Donald Trump, confirmed what Pompeo said, in a Trump way. Trump added theat of big sanctions against Iraq if they want US military out. Plus Iraq has to pay back for these air bases, US built and Iraq does not need. Trump will send them check for all US effort in Iraq in latest 17 years, together with repayment of the cost of US invasion of Iraq in 2003, it would be 3 trillion dollar, Iraq cannot pay back this, US military stays. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigJets + 87 JB January 6, 2020 Amazing. One step closer to abandoning ME. All military assets would just move to SA and Kuwait though. I think we will still maintain some airfields in Iraq well into the next 5-10 years. Ayn Al Assad comes to mind. I don’t think we will give up strategic airfields to soon. All good news for American energy and heck opec as well. Uncertainty uncertainty uncertainty energy prices rise. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshiro Kamamura + 274 YK January 6, 2020 It seems that the current US leadership has the rare ability to unite people around the world. An unanimous vote in Iraq, joint maritime excercise by China, Russia and Iran - countries that had their own share of different opinions in the past, Russians and Germans cooperating on making the Nord Stream 2 a reality, and so on. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
remake it + 288 January 6, 2020 5 hours ago, Marcin said: Later Donald Trump, confirmed what Pompeo said, in a Trump way. Trump added theat of big sanctions against Iraq if they want US military out. Plus Iraq has to pay back for these air bases, US built and Iraq does not need. Trump will send them check for all US effort in Iraq in latest 17 years, together with repayment of the cost of US invasion of Iraq in 2003, it would be 3 trillion dollar, Iraq cannot pay back this, US military stays. The USA had no legitimate grounds for invading Iraq the last time, so the it's Iraq who would be asking the USA to pay for their illegal war against them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
remake it + 288 January 6, 2020 4 hours ago, BigJets said: Amazing. One step closer to abandoning ME. All military assets would just move to SA and Kuwait though. I think we will still maintain some airfields in Iraq well into the next 5-10 years. Ayn Al Assad comes to mind. I don’t think we will give up strategic airfields to soon. You might be surprised by what will happen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites