US killing of Soleimani 'brazen attack' on Iraq sovereignty: Iraqi PM
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The Iraqi prime minister emphasizes that his government is working to lay a solid foundation for Iraqi sovereignty.
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The coffins of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis were carried through Karbala, January 5, 2020. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani has paid tribute to top Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed three years ago in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport, calling their targeted killings a "brazen attack" on Iraq's sovereignty.
“The crime of assassinating the ‘Commanders of Victory’ and their companions represented a flagrant violation of Iraq’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty. The targeted killings of the commanders, who had a leading role in the elimination of the scourge of terrorism, is an utter disrespect to bilateral agreements [signed between Baghdad and Washington],” Sudani said at a Thursday ceremony in the capital Baghdad in commemoration of the two commanders.
“We woke up on January 3, 2020 to hear the terrible news about the assassination of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was on an official visit to Iraq,” he added.
The Iraqi prime minister went on to condemn former US President Donald Trump's administration for its brazen attack on Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty, pointing out that the fight against dark terrorism "requires power and resilience."
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He emphasized that his government is working to lay a solid foundation for Iraqi sovereignty, that it is independent in decision-making, that it forges relationships based on common interests, that it protects the sovereignty of the country's soil and territorial waters, and that it will go to any length to repel any act of aggression against the Iraqi nation and its guests.
Furthermore, Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council Chairman Faiq Zidane condemned the assassination of Muhandis and Gen. Soleimani as a "vile and cowardly act."
He emphasized that it is the responsibility of the Iraqi judiciary to shed light on all circumstances surrounding the US assassination, and he urged the country's security institutions to provide judicial authorities with all relevant documents and findings.
‘Iraq judicial chief highlights arrest warrant for Trump’
Zidane went on to say that the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq has issued an arrest warrant for former US President Donald Trump in connection with the assassination of General Soleimani and the deputy chief of the PMU.
The president of the council stated that Trump has admitted to his "crime" in relation to the assassination of the "Leaders of Victory."
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He urged all Iraqi officials involved in the targeted killings investigations to do everything possible to identify all related architects, organizers, and perpetrators.
Two days after the attack, Iraqi lawmakers passed legislation requiring the government to withdraw all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country.
