Iraqi resistance groups reserve right to fight against foreign occupation forces, lawmaker says

An Iraqi legislator says it would be legitimate for the country’s anti-terror resistance groups, which are part of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or al-Hashd al-Sha’abi, to force US-led military forces to leave in case the occupation forces prolong their presence in the Arab country.

“Americans must leave Iraqi territories. They have no other option. There is no reason for American troops at all to remain in Iraq,” Ali al-Fatlawi, a member of the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance, told Iraq's Arabic-language al-Ahad news agency on Monday.

He said the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq is non-negotiable, especially as former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi had worked on the matter and the parliament has also passed a resolution on the pullout of the foreign forces.

“Iraq will utilize all legal and diplomatic means to prevent a prolonged US military presence,” he underlined.

Fatlawi noted, “If Americans do not leave Iraq after the deadline and continue their deployment, it will then be legitimate and legal for resistance forces to confront their occupation.”

Iraqi political parties call for striking up alliance to drive out US forces

Iraqi political parties are calling for the formation of an alliance aimed at the expulsion of American occupation forces from the Arab country, in case they decide to prolong their presence there.

The remarks come a day after the spokesman for the political bureau of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq lambasted a prolonged presence of US-led forces in Iraq, stating that resistance fighters will confront all those seeking to justify an overstay.

Mahmoud al-Rubaie told the Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency that weapons at the hands of Iraqi resistance fighters are the main guarantor and executive assurance for the implementation of the Iraqi nation’s demand and the parliamentary bill on withdrawal of foreign troops.

“All military forces affiliated with American occupiers must, therefore, leave Iraq,” he said.

“Any individual or faction that seeks to justify the continued presence of foreign forces will face an armed struggle staged by resistance combatants. The national Iraqi will and resistance groups will eventually drive foreign troops out of Iraq,” Rubaie stressed.

Iraqi resistance groups fire 'all their weapons' against US troops if they fail to withdraw: Kata'ib Hezbollah

An Iraq’s prominent resistance group says US troops must leave the country or they will be targeted by all weapons of the resistance factions.

Qassim al-Araji, Iraq’s national security adviser, said on Thursday that a final round of technical talks to formally end the US-led combat mission, which was purportedly formed to fight the Daesh terrorist group, had concluded.

“We are officially announcing the end of the coalition forces’ combat mission,” al-Araji wrote on Twitter, adding that the coalition would continue providing assistance, advice and training to Iraqi forces.

However, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the number of US troops in Iraq won’t change. 

“Remember, this is a change in mission, right? Not necessarily a change in physical posture,” he said. “It’s not like today they snap the chalk line and all of a sudden there’s a massive change in the daily operations of our men and women over there.”

“There won’t be a dramatic shift from yesterday to tomorrow, based on how we’ve already been working ourselves into this new mission,” Kirby said.

There are about 2,500 US soldiers and another 1,000 coalition troopers currently based in Iraq. It is unclear how many will remain in the next phase of deployment in Iraq.

Iraqi groups vow resistance after US announces end to combat mission

The official spokesman for Iraq’s Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba movement says US forces will be viewed as occupiers as long as they remain on the Iraqi soil.

Anti-US sentiment has been growing in Iraq since last year's assassination of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Units, along with the region's legendary anti-terror commander General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.

They were targeted along with their companions on January 3, 2020, in a terrorist drone strike authorized by former US president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport.

Two days after the attack, Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill that requires the government to end the presence of all foreign military forces led by the US.

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