The Iraqi Parliament on Sunday passed a resolution that would expel the United States military following the killing of Iranian terrorist Qasem Soleimani.
“The government commits to revoke its request for assistance from the international coalition fighting Islamic State due to the end of military operations in Iraq and the achievement of victory,” the resolution read, CNBC reported. “The Iraqi government must work to end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil and prohibit them from using its land, airspace or water for any reason.”
Although Parliamentarian resolutions are non-binding to the government like laws are, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi encouraged the Parliament to take urgent action.
“Despite the internal and external difficulties that we might face, it remains best for Iraq on principle and practically,” Abdul Mahdi told parliament in a speech.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization, Kataib Hezbollah, threatened lawmakers who failed to show up or vote in favor of the resolution. Hezbollah considered those people to be "traitors."
Kataib Hezbollah has given Iraqi security forces a deadline of Sunday evening to move at least 1 km (0.62 mi) away from bases where American troops are stationed, urging military commanders not to allow their soldiers to serve as human shields for the U.S. Iraqi security forces have been unable to prevent a spate of rocket attacks targeting those bases in recent months, which U.S. officials blame on Kataib Hezbollah.
On Saturday, multiple rockets attacked the fortified green zone in Baghdad, right near the U.S. embassy. Thankfully no injuries were sustained.
There are currently 5,000 American troops stationed in Iraq. They were sent there in 2014 to help defeat ISIS, which overran a third of the country. ISIS was defeated a couple of years ago but troops remained in the area to prevent the terrorist organization from reemerging and to train Iraqi security forces.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member