Iraqi PM: Our position of ending US presence is steadfast, principled
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The Iraqi Prime Minister has confirmed the official status of the PMF within the Iraqi Armed Forces following a US attack.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani speaks during a press conference with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, unseen, in Baghdad, Iraq, December 28, 2023. (AP)
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, emphasized today, Friday, the importance of remaining true to the promise of ending the presence of the US-led international coalition in Iraq.
In a speech commemorating the lives of "the leaders of victory," in reference to martyrs Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi Premier affirmed Baghdad's "steadfast and principled position," which "is to end the presence of the (US-led) coalition, as it has overstayed its purported mission."
The United States redeployed a large force in Iraq, following an agreement with the Iraqi government which mandated the US military to support the country in its fight against ISIS. Under a Combined Joint Task Force, dubbed "Operation Inherent Resolve," the US has maintained a large presence, including two airbases claiming to fight terrorism in the region.
However, the US has taken advantage of its presence, especially via its airbases, to illegally strike and terrorize its adversaries in the region.
Al-Sudani's remarks come just one day after the US military assassinated Hajj Moshtaq Taleb al-Saidi (Abou Taqwa), under the pretext of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) official's role in targeting US bases in the region.
Read more: Iraqi PMF senior official assassinated in airstrike
US violates Iraqi sovereignty
Although the US has carried out several strikes against the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which includes several Iraqi Resistance factions, such as martyr Abou Taqwa's al-Nujabaa Movement, targeting PMF officials marks an unprecedented escalation.
In detail, the PMF is a military group mainly relying on the Iraqi citizens who took on the responsibility of fighting rapidly spreading terrorism in the region. The PMF acts under the jurisdiction of the Iraqi government, therefore holding an official governmental status. Furthermore, the site of the assassination belongs to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, marking yet another flagrant violation by US forces.
The Pentagon did not shy away from accepting responsibility for the attack, as its spokesperson Pat Ryder detailed the US plot just a few hours later.
"I can confirm that on January 4, approximately 12:00 p.m. Iraq time, US forces took necessary and proportionate action against Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, aka Abu Taqwa, who is a Harakat-al-Nujaba leader. Abu Taqwa was actively involved in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel."
Read more: US claims responsibility for attack on Iraqi official in Baghdad
Iraq pushes to end US presence
In this context, al-Sudani announced that the government is "in the process of determining the initial date of dialogue through a bilateral committee formed to specify the arrangements for ending the presence of the international coalition."
The head of the Iraqi government reaffirmed that "the Popular Mobilization Forces represent an official presence affiliated with the state and subject to it, and they are an integral part of our armed forces."
Arguably, Washington's most abhorrent crime was its assassination of martyrs al-Muhandis and Soleimani, just as the two exited the Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
The Prime Minister took note of the event, saying that "the attack that led to the martyrdom of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qasem Soleimani represented a blow to all norms and laws governing our relationship with Washington."
A unified response
Earlier, the Iraqi Presidency also affirmed that the US attack on Thursday "constitutes a violation and encroachment on Iraq's sovereignty and security, a clear violation of the relationship between Iraq and the international coalition, and a breach of the frameworks and justifications for which the coalition was established to provide assistance and advice to the Iraqi security forces."
On his part, the spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Yahya Rasul Abdullah, held the international coalition responsible for the "unjustified attack" on the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization.
The US authoritarian action in West Asia and its strategic alliance with the Israeli occupation, has overburdened the people of the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Its deliberate escalation in Iraq sheds light on Washington's political arrogance and has led to a proactive unified official Iraqi response.
