In January 2020, Iraq’s parliament unanimously called for the US to leave Iraq. President Biden hasn’t weighed in on this, but the matter is likely to come to a head in April talks with Iraq centering on the strategic future of the two nations.
Iraq’s PM and other top officials are getting prepared to push hard for the pullout of US troops, forming a committee to try to work out this deal with the US.
US officials aren’t saying anything in the lead-up to this, already so busy talking about how they’re not withdrawing from Afghanistan or Syria. Iraqi MPs, however, are also commenting, and warning these talks had better lead to a resolution.
Defense committee member Kati al-Rikabi warned that if there isn’t a deal reached on the US withdrawal by April’s end, he and a number of MPs are prepared to take a “new position” in their attempt to outright oust the US forces.
That was what parliament was inclined to do over a year ago, but at the time President Trump ruled out leaving. Biden hasn’t taken a position, but his other foreign entanglements suggest a preference for a status quo, if at all possible.
Iraq’s parliament did not unanimously call for the US to leave Iraq. Part of Iraq’s parliament unanimously called for the US to leave Iraq during a session in which a large part of parliament was boycotting the proceedings.
Many news outlets reported at the time the vote was unanimous.
Apparently, every vote cast was in favor of the expulsion.
In any case, the vote was legally binding and the US has refused to leave to no one’s surprise.
Looks like Iraq will have to send the US invaders home horizontally.
Perhaps Iran will help with this task.
The vote was unanimous. It just wasn’t a vote of the entire parliament. The “unanimity” was contrived by holding a vote during a fight when one side had walked out and was boycotting the proceedings.
And no, the vote wasn’t “legally binding,” or rather it wasn’t legally binding on the US, even if the US could be bothered to obey laws, adhere to treaties, etc. Under the US-Iraq status of forces agreement, the prime minister, not parliament, is the authority for triggering withdrawal. The prime minister declined to do his job as instructed by that parliamentary vote.
No surprises here. When’s the last time the US ceased an occupation without being forcibly kicked out?
I think Biden will do the same thing as he is doing about Afghanistan, he will keep the troops there indefinitely. According to him, “the more the merrier”.
well if uncle sam pulls his boys out of there then who will protect all of the oil production that exxon is now in charge of