Hashd Al-Shaabi Calls for Withdrawal of American Occupiers from Iraq

Rasa - Kenan Tuzlu, commander of the Turkmen unit of the Iraqi popular forces of Hashd al-Shaabi, emphasized that "American forces are aggressive, occupying forces" and demanded their withdrawal from Iraq.

News ID: 436411

Date: 14 February 2018 - 22:57

RNA - "We don't want the US or any other foreign military’s presence in Iraq. We consider it unacceptable. There is no rational explanation for the American presence in our country, Tuzlu told Sputnik.

"Earlier they pretended to fight ISIL for their troops to stay in Iraq. Now ISIL is over and the Americans don’t have any reliable pretext. We had been against the American presence in Iraq even before ISIL was destroyed. Our forces and the Iraqi army were fighting against ISIL," he added.

"An agreement according to which the Americans should leave the country was completed in 2011 in the US. However, they don’t stick to the agreement. Iraqi people don’t want American military people to stay in the country. No country can agree to be occupied by another country," the Hashd al-Shaabi commander said.

According to Fars News Agancy, Kenan Tuzlu also warned that if the US continues its military presence in Iraq, Hashd al-Shaabi will regard it as the enemy.

"Leader of Hashd al-Shaabi Abu Mehdi Muhendis never wanted the US presence in Iraq. All Hashd al-Shaabi senior officers also demand the withdrawal of the American forces from the country. American military forces set up their bases mainly in the sites where Kurdish forces are located. The Hashd al-Shaabi territorial army doesn’t need the US military forces to be present in Iraq," Tuzlu went on to say.

The Iraqi Army's victory over ISIL was declared last December by the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi after the country's forces gained complete control over the border with Syria.

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