Iraqi Officials: US Congressional Delegation ‘Not Welcome’

Demands for War Compensation, Threats of War Crimes Investigation Cloud Visit

The United States has officially worn out its welcome in Iraq. Throughout eight years of occupation the US-backed government appears to have grown tired of taking the endless array of Congressional delegations and spokesman Ali Dabbagh today declared that the current delegation is “not welcome” in the country.

Each delegation comes with its own set of talking points aimed at a certain agenda. The current group has already touched some very sore nerves, however, with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R – CA) suggesting the war-torn nation should pay reparations to the United States to help defray the cost of the 2003 invasion and nearly a decade of occupation.

Rohrbacher, who was flanked by other members of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, also reported that he threatened Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during their nearly two hour meeting. Rohrbacher suggested the Iraqi government’s crackdown on the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MeK), a US State Department designated terrorist organization, amounted to “a crime against humanity.” The delegation was not allowed to visit the MeK in their camp.

Though the MeK retains its terrorist designation, it has become something of a darling for pro-war US Congressmen who see the group’s repeated accusations against Iran as a pretext for a US occupation there. The group established a base in Iraq under Saddam Hussein, and the Maliki government has taken an extremely dim view of them remaining in the nation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.