Iran Press/Iran News: Washington's approach has drawn negative reactions from Iraqis. The Iraqi people, political parties and groups have repeatedly stressed the need for US troops to withdraw from the country.
This demand has intensified in recent days after US airstrikes on several Hashd al-Shaabi bases in al Anbar province in western Iraq, prompting a mass demonstration outside the US embassy in Baghdad. Furious Iraqi protesters stormed the US embassy compound on Tuesday 31 December, forcing a response from senior US officials.
Thousands of Iraqis on Tuesday, 31 December, participated in the funeral ceremonies of Hashd al-Shaabi martyrs killed in the aggressive US airstrikes last Sunday in al Anbar province and they rallied and protested outside the US embassy in Baghdad.
Protesters set fire to one of the entrances to the compound, climbing the walls of the embassy and chanting "Death to America", and carrying flags of Hashd al-Shabi. Iraqi protesters announced a sit-in in front of the US embassy and demanded the expulsion of all US troops from their country.
US President Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday in response to widespread protests by Iraqis outside the US Embassy in Baghdad: "We expect Iraq to use its military force to protect our embassy in Baghdad, and so they are told." Trump then accused Iran of being behind the storming of the US embassy compound in Baghdad.
In fact, Trump has sought to portray Iran responsible for widespread anti-American protests and has completely ignored the fact that the Iraqi people don't want US military forces in their country.
Iraqis have witnessed over the past three decades, Americans targeted their country through missiles and airstrikes on various pretexts, and eventually invaded Iraq in 2003 to occupy it.
During this time, Iraq's American governers such as Paul Bremer, who ruled Iraq as interim ruler from May 5 to June 6, have abused and misappropriated Iraq's wealth in addition to mismanagement and wrongdoing. During Bremer's reign, huge sums were lost and many wrong decisions were made, such as the dissolution of the Iraqi army.
Iraqis at the US embassy in Iraq after US raid on Hashd al Shaabi
Americans from 1991 to December 2011, who formally withdrew most of their troops during the Obama administration have been responsible for the deaths and homelessness of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, either because of sanctions or air and ground attacks across the country. And they are still killing the people of this country under various pretexts.
In fact, after a rocket attack on a base in Kirkuk that killed an American contractor, the Trump administration, under this pretext, targeted Hashd al Shabi bases that were part of the Iraqi armed forces and an important element in the fight against ISIS. This is a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a criminal act. Instead of apologizing, the Americans have threatened the Iraqi government and people.
As the protests of the Iraqi people in front of the US Embassy in Baghdad continued, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo telephoned President Barack Saleh and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to implicitly threaten Iraqi protesters, saying that the United States defends its citizens.
The US Department of Defense also announced Tuesday night 31 December that Washington plans to deploy 750 American troops in the West Asian region in response to events in Iraq.
This US response has received negative reactions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently urged Americans to avoid tensions in the region. However, evidence suggests that Washington is trying to pretend that widespread protests in Iraq have had no impact on US policy in West Asia. And Washington is still determined to continue its presence in this country and the region. 101/211/219
Read More:
Iraqis Hold Funeral Ceremony for Hashd Al-Shaabi Martyrs in Najaf
Adil Abdul Mahdi: I wanted to inform Hashd al-Shaabi about an impending attack but there was no time
Iraqi Army, popular forces launch a major operation against ISIS remains
