Iraq summons British chargé d'affaires over ambassador's remarks

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
18 Aug 2024 15:48
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Iraq summoned the British chargé d'affaires after Ambassador Stephen Hitchen's comments painted a "bleak image" of the country's security and political situation.

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An Iraqi flag waves in the wind above the Iraqi Trebil border crossing on the Iraq-Jordan border on August 30, 2017. (AP)

Iraq has summoned Britain's chargé d'affaires over comments made by British Ambassador Stephen Hitchen regarding Iraq's security and political situation, according to the country's state news agency on Sunday.

The remarks were said to present "a bleak image of Iraq, its government and components."

It is noted that the British ambassador had previously claimed in an interview with an Iraqi channel that he was receiving threats, without specifying their nature or the groups involved, only suggesting that they came from "certain militias." He also suggested that there were threats to British citizens in Iraq, advising against travel to the country due to security concerns and uncontrolled weapons.

Stephen Hitchen began his role as the British Ambassador to Baghdad in July 2023.

Baghdad postpones announcement date of US-led forces exit from Iraq

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that the final withdrawal of the US and coalition forces from Iraq has been delayed due to the "latest developments".

"The presence of the international coalition advisers in the person of advisers of all nationalities on the territory of Iraq will be completed. Negotiations continued on the details of the withdrawal of advisers and the resolution of logistical issues," the ministry said. "We were close to announcing the final date of this agreement, but due to the latest developments, the announcement was postponed," it added without providing further details.

The United States has carried out several strikes in the past months against Iraqi factions of the Popular Mobilization Forces PMF – a government security apparatus – including one that targeted a site belonging to the Defense Ministry. Several Iraqi citizens were killed in the attacks.

The aggressions came after the Islamic Resistance in Iraq launched a phase of operations against Israeli targets and US forces in Iraq and Syria, in response to the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza and Washington's direct involvement in it.

The Iraqi government adopted a law to expel foreign forces following the assassination of top Iraqi and Iranian anti-terror commanders, martyrs General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.