RNA – Iraq’s Mufti Shaykh Abdul-Mahdi al-Sumaidai called on Prime Minister Mustafa al-‎Kadhimi to courageously make efforts to force American forces to withdraw from Iraq.‎

In a message on Friday, Shaykh al-Sumaidai congratulated Prime Minister al-Kadhimi on ‎assuming the office of Prime Minister.‎

He also urged the new premier to strive to resolve issues and problems such as those ‎related to unemployment, refugees, prisoners and university graduates.‎

The senior cleric further called for efforts to expel the United States forces from the country.‎

In a vote on January 5, the Iraqi parliament called for an end to the presence of all foreign ‎troops, including Americans.‎

The vote came two days after the United States military – acting on United States President ‎Donald Trump’s order – launched a fatal drone strike on senior Iranian anti-terror ‎commander Lieutenant General Qasem Soleymani upon his arrival in the Iraqi capital at the ‎invitation of the Baghdad government.‎

The attack also claimed the lives of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of the ‎PMU, and eight other Iranian and Iraqi people.‎

Washington has threatened sanctions should United States troops be expelled instead of ‎heeding the Iraqi parliament’s call to end the occupation of the country.‎

IQNA

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