In a 170-0 vote during Sunday’s emergency session, Iraq’s parliament voted in favor of a five-point plan to require the Iraqi government to oust all foreign troops from the country, and withdraw the 2014 request for assistance against ISIS, a group which largely does not exist in Iraq.
The session was called after the Thursday night US airstrike against Baghdad International Airport, which killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as well as high ranking Iraqi government official Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The parliamentary resolution made clear that they view this as a gross violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
The resolution now goes on to be signed by the Iraqi prime minister, in this case Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who resigned in November but has yet to be replaced. Abdul-Mahdi was responsible for much of the language of the resolution, and his signature seems a foregone conclusion.
The 170-0 vote was a result of many smaller factions, including the Kurds, not showing up to the session. The Shi’ites clearly had more than enough MPs for a majority vote, and were the ones most affected by the US attack.
The resolution offers no specific timetable for expelling US troops from Iraq, but it is likely to be sooner rather than later, given the circumstances. Iraq has long tried to avoid being the battleground of a US-Iran proxy fight, and this seems to be their best chance at that.
The US has not responded to the vote, but since they have long emphasized that their presence in Iraq is because of Iraqi government requests and permission, it would be very difficult for them to try to work out an argument where they stay and keep attacking Iraqi government targets, even if that is the clear preference at the moment.
Hardly surprising. Nobody should accept this sort of attack by “an ally”.
What is sad is that the Trump apologists are likely saying that this was his plan all along…pull this crap, get the Iraqis to kick us out, then he can bring the troops home while saving face. Yeah, and I’ve got a bridge to see along with some great land in Florida. This is just another provocation for WW3, and none of the troops will leave. Trump will simply escalate the war in Iraq again if he has to. He will do whatever Bibi tells him.
I’ve always wanted a bridge of my own, and I hear Florida is a very nice place. Will you take a check?
Sure, could you just make it out to cash…and actually, if you could just sign it and I’ll fill in the amount when I’ve worked out the right total….I mean the government simply wants a blank check, so why not me??
And then Uncle Sham will give them the finger and threaten to place sanctions and strip the country of all of its resources. Thus, the Iraqis will fall in line like good cattle. Nice effort.
Israel is the only country officially supporting the murder of Soleimani. Not even KSA or UAE are supporting the assassination. The Saudis are claiming they were not consulted and urging restraint. (Like “Please don’t bomb our oil fields,again. It wasn’t our fault!”. )
Trump may just have succeeded in uniting the entire world except Israel against US imperialism. At least for the moment.
I think its been that way for some time. Most are just trying to convince themselves that we have more on our side than just Israel.
“The US has not responded to the vote, but since they have long emphasized that their presence in Iraq is because of Iraqi government requests and permission, it would be very difficult for them to try to work out an argument where they stay and keep attacking Iraqi government targets…”
Forget it. If the US now acts openly as shameless outlaws, sanctioning internationally forbidden annexations and adopting the Mafia terrorist murder style of the Zionist bandits, it means that from now on the only justification will be “just because we are the Empire, and what you gonna do ’bout it?” Fully officially outlaws, instead of shameless shenanigans to clobber together “alliances of the willing accomplices”.
“The 170-0 vote was a result of many smaller factions” Wikipedia claims there are 329 members of the Iraqi parliament so 170 / 329 = 51.7% in favor.
According to WP the ruling coalition has 189 members, 25 of which are a Kurdish party.
Trump deliberately killed 47 Iraqi soldiers last week, that should have been enough to expel American troops and contractors.
I doubt the Iranians ever dreamed they would achieve a strategic victory of this importance at the cost of one martyr. The idiocy of Pompeo and his minions challenges that of Cheney and Rumsfeld in 2003.
Hmmm. Seeing is believing.
The resolution appears to require that all foreign troops leave, not just the U.S.; this theoretically also removes whatever Iranian troops are there.
However, the Iranians in Iraq seem to be kind of like the Iranian version of outsourced contractors, not official army, working within PMUs.
It had been proposed that Afghanistan be outsourced to U.S. military contractors as well. Looks like that will be the model for the U.S. in Iraq.
Politicians are politicians wherever they are; just can’t be trusted to deliver an honest policy.
G W BUSH, his son,…should be hanged publicly for killing millions of innocents Iraqis whether by sanctions, bombing, for spreading the so called democracy(sic), making false claims of fictitious weapons of mass destruction… Iraq left Kuwait,…US has no right to put sanctions knowing that civilans will die. In the words of Medialine Albright, it was worth to kill civilians to spread the so called democracy. Even if Iraq didn’t left Kuwait, US is no right to take charge of the world… finally in 2003, usa invaded Iraq; saddam was not involved in the false flag of 911. No Al Qaeda was in Iraq. BUSH and his cronies were getting hungry for oil. He forgot that karma will take revenge. TRUMP also wants to destroy civilans by targeting cultural sites. What a shame for country who is still not satisfied by killing red indians, Mexicans and black Americans. I PRAY that BUSH AND TRUMP soon meet their nemesis. Enough bombs have been dropped for oil…
Yes, Dubya Bush should be publicly hanged for killing millions of innocent Iraqis – whether by sanctions, bombing, for spreading the so-called democracy, making false claims of fictitious weapons of mass destruction. Iraq left Kuwait .. US had no right to put on sanctions, knowing that civilians – many of them children at 5 and under – will die, In the words of Madeleine Albright, it was worth killing infants, toddlers, and other children to spread this so-called democracy. Even if Iraq didn’t leave Kuwait, US has no right to take charge of the world.
Finally in 2003, US invaded Iraq – Saddam wasn’t involved in the false flag of 911. No, Al-Qaeda was in Iraq. Dubya and his cronies were getting hungry for oil .. He forgot that karma will take revenge, and it did – when Barack Obama succeeded him as POTUS. Obama pulled out 11,000 US troops from Iraq and used drones to kill certain targets,
DJT also wants to destroy civilians by targeting cultural sites (which is a war crime, btw). Yes, what a shame for a country who’s still not satisfied with killing red Indians Mexicans and black Americans., I, too, pray that Dubya and DJT soon meet their nemesis .. Enough bombs have dropped for oil.
Who is kidding who, why of course all the antiwar and pro war writers who make a living spouting false headlines, Iraq did not pass a bill telling US to remove its troops, it passed a non binding resolution, if one or more of their parliament wants they may voluntarily by free will ask if US would kindly remove its troop.
As if that corrupt pile of vipers dared to speak against the only thing keeping them in power, US Troop, to leave.
If, by some “Divinitys’ intervention, impossible as Trump and Pence would not allow it, US did pull out, ten minutes later those pit vipers in Iraq government would be running, slithering, for their very lives.
If I insulted, an almost impossible task, any of Iraq’s official office holders and their bureaucrats, I meant to.
What a farce. USA isn’t leaving Iraq. It will only tighten the imperial grip.