Iraq says excuses for international coalition's presence in country are over
Justifications for the presence of the US-led international coalition forces in Iraq have ended, and Baghdad intends to take concrete measures to end the foreign military presence in the country. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani told Al-Sumaria, Azernews reports, citing TASS.
"The government reaffirms its firm position to end the presence of the international coalition in the country after the excuses for this ended," al-Sudani pointed out.
The Iraqi prime minister noted that the country's authorities are now "determining the date for the start of negotiations within the framework of the bilateral committee that was established to work out measures to end the presence of coalition forces in Iraq."
Al-Sudani condemned the latest attacks by coalition forces on the positions of al-Hashd al-Shaabi militias, which he said "are official formations subordinate to the state and an integral part of the Iraqi army."
On 4 January, Abu Taqwa, one of Hezbollah al-Nujaba's commanders, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad, with at least six others injured. Abu Taqwa led the movement's 12th Brigade and was also a supporter of Iraq's al-Hashd al-Shaabi militia. On 26 December, U.S. Central Command reported strikes on Kataib Hezbollah facilities in Iraqi territory in response to attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria. The Iraqi government then regarded the US military strikes on targets in the republic as a hostile act that violated the country's sovereignty.
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