White House defiant as Iraq threatens to expel US troops over Soleimani strike
Iraq’s potential vote to expel US forces for assassinating Maj, Gen. Qasem Soleimani could spell trouble for the campaign against the Islamic State.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #0463c1; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #0463c1} Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi is convening an emergency session of parliament Sunday to discuss the US assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Tehran-backed deputy leader of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units.
The emergency session could lead to a longtime goal of Iran’s proxies in Iraq: the expulsion of US forces from Iraq, potentially jeopardizing the campaign against the remnants of the Islamic State.
“We would certainly be very disappointed if there was some sort of adverse decision by the Iraqi parliament — the Council of Representatives — with respect to our continued ability to assist the people of Iraq,” national security adviser Robert O’Brien told Al-Monitor today.
O’Brien pointed to the fact that some of the protesters who have swarmed Baghdad in recent months to demand a complete government overhaul celebrated Soleimani’s assassination yesterday. Iran-backed militias targeted by the United States have abducted several activists leading the demonstrations, but the protesters have also taken aim at American influence in Iraq.
