Iraq’s Resistance Factions Say US Presence Rejected
Iraq’s Resistance Factions said that "it makes no sense to announce the withdrawal of US troops, as the US warplanes continue to violate the Iraqi sovereignty and the Iraqi national security."
The Coordinating Body of the Iraqi Resistance Factions said that the actual US withdrawal must include all foreign troops, emphasizing that the US-Iraq agreement is a deceptive declaration to maintain US military presence.
In a statement, the Iraqi Resistance Factions added that they adamantly oppose a continued US military presence in their country in any shape or form.
"It makes no sense to announce the withdrawal of US troops, while the US warplanes continue to violate Iraqi sovereignty and Iraqi national security", the statement added.
Furthermore, the Iraqi Resistance Factions pointed out that the Resistance will maintain its preparedness until full US withdrawal.
On his part, the Secretary-General of "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq" Qais Khazali said that "there is no real intention by the US administration to leave Iraq."
In a statement, Khazali added, "the result of these negotiations will not be the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, but rather, it is nothing more than verbal manipulation”, adding that “these negotiations are deceptive."
Khazali went on to say that “the issue of ending the US combat presence in Iraq was never mentioned by the US President, nor by the Iraqi Prime Minister,” and, “The statements by the US-Iraq foreign ministers did not clarify what is meant by combat forces and what they include."
Furthermore, he clarified that the joint statement did not mention, even from afar, the US warplanes and their violation of Iraqi sovereignty, stressing that the US reconnaissance aircrafts are mainly concentrated over Baghdad and used for surveillance purposes.
Khazali asked: What are the reconnaissance drones doing over the central and southern governorates?
On Monday, Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had announced an agreement that will allow the US combat mission in Iraq to end by the end of 2021, with the US President stating that the US forces will still operate in Iraq in an advisory capacity.
In his turn, Al-Kadhimi said that “there is no need for any foreign combat forces on Iraqi soil."