The protesters gathered in Baghdad called to the “total withdrawal of the foreign forces and American forces” of Iraq, a country continuously caught by the tensions between Iran and the United States.
Le Monde with AFP
It was almost two years ago, on January 3, 2020. On the orders of the US President Donald Trump, an armed drone sprayed the vehicle where the Iranian General Ghassem Soleimani, Architect of the Iranian strategy in the Middle East , and his Iraqi lieutenant, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, number two units of popular mobilization (Hachd al-Chaabi), a coalition of Iraqi militia dominated by pro-Iranian factions.
On the occasion of the second anniversary of their death, thousands of supporters of Hachd Al-Chaabi demonstrated in Iraq on Saturday, January 1, asking for the withdrawal of American soldiers from the country. In the center of Baghdad, they sprang on a closed place to traffic, brandishing large white flags struck from the Hachd badge and Iraqi flags.
“No to America!”, have changing the protesters, some of which brandished portraits of Soleimani and Al-Mohandes. “The terrorism of the United States has to stop”, could be read on a sign. Addressing the crowd, Falah al-Fayyad, a senior Hashd responsible, greeted the memory of the two “martyrs”, seeing in their assassination “a crime against the sovereignty of Iraq”. He again called for “total withdrawal of foreign forces and American forces” from Iraq.
The Iraq taken in a vise between Iran and the United States
In 2020, the attack, perpetrated by night on a road from the Baghdad International Airport, had a fear of a war between Tehran and Washington, two enemies and two acting powers in Iraq. A few days after the assassination of General Soleimani, Iran had fought in pulling missiles on Iraqi bases housing American soldiers.
The tensions between Iran and the United States continually take the Iraq per vise. In recent years, dozens of rocket shots or attacks with trapped drones targeted American troops and interests in Iraq. Never claimed, these attacks are systematically attributed by the United States to pro-Iranian Iraqi factions.
These have continues to claim the withdrawal of American troops, stationed in the country as part of an international anti-dijihad coalition. On December 9, Iraq had announced the “end of the combat mission” of the Coalition, which also retains its workforce on Iraqi soil to pursue a training and consulting role.
In fact, some 2,500 US soldiers and a thousand coalition country soldiers are now stationed in three Iraqi forces. These foreign troops were already playing a role of advisers and trainers for more than a year, after having helped Iraqi forces to defeat the Djihadist group Islamic State.
Main commemorations Monday in Iran
“If we want to avenge the blood of the martyrs, it will be by the expulsion of all the foreign forces to reach full national sovereignty,” said Saturday Hadi al-Améri, who leads a faction of the Hachd, during his speech in front of the protesters.
As part of the commemorations, a vigil to candles is scheduled Sunday night at Baghdad airport, where the vehicle is now throne that carried General Soleimani and Mr. Al-Mouhandis.
In Tehran, the Supreme Guide, Ali Khamenei, received Saturday the family of General Iranian killed, in the presence of the commander of the guardians of the Revolution and the Head of Force Al-Qods, elite unit responsible for external operations Formerly led by Ghassem Soleimani. In Iran, the main commemorations will be held on Monday.
In addition, an exposure of Iranian ballistic capabilities is scheduled for January 7th.
