Middle East
Pro-Iranian militias: Iraq guarantees protection in embassies
Iraqi soldiers stand guard near the US Embassy in Baghdad during a demonstration in support of Palestinians and against US support for Israel. (archive image) photo
© Ameer Al-Mohammedawi/dpa
Concerns about an expansion of the Gaza war continue – including in Iraq. A leading MP close to Tehran is now making it clear: diplomatic missions are safe.
Pro-Iranian militias want to… According to a representative close to Iran, Iraq will not attack foreign embassies, consulates or offices of international organizations. Iraqi MP Hussein Muanis said this.
“The locations of embassies, diplomatic missions, international organizations and foreign companies in Iraq are not targets for the Iraqi resistance,” Muanis said in an interview last Thursday. “They are safe. The Iraqi government is committed to protecting these places.
Muanis heads the Hukuk bloc in the Iraqi parliament, which has ties to the Iran-loyal militia Kataib Hezbollah. This is one of the strongest and most influential militias in Iraq. It is believed that Muanis is actually the spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah under the name Abu Ali al-Askari. Muanis has always rejected this connection, presumably to separate his military from his political identity, as the US think tank Washington Institute writes.
Since the Gaza war broke out between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, pro-Iranian militias have claimed responsibility for around two dozen attacks in Iraq and Syria, including on Erbil airport. The attacks with drones and missiles mostly target bases used by US troops.
Criticism of the stationing of US soldiers
The Bundeswehr is deployed in Iraq with a small contingent of troops. Germany is represented with an embassy in the capital Baghdad and a consulate general in Erbil.
The presence of US troops is a “provocation” for Iraqis given Washington’s support for Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip, Muanis said. “The presence of US military bases in Iraq will accelerate Iraq’s entry into this conflict.” His bloc demanded in parliament that all foreign troops leave the country, especially after the end of the fight against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS).
After the US invasion of Iraq, more than 160,000 US soldiers were stationed in Iraq. After their withdrawal in 2011, a small contingent of troops remained, which was increased again with the US-led fight against IS. Military victory over IS was announced in 2017, but its cells continue to be active in the country and carry out attacks. There are currently around 2,500 US troops stationed in the country. In particular, the militias and political forces allied with Iran are demanding the complete withdrawal of the Americans.
“We have no timetable for the presence of American troops in Iraq. This contradicts the Iraqi constitution, harms the country’s security and worries neighboring countries,” Muani said. The “Iraqi resistance” does not tolerate any “negligence” on the part of the USA.
Muanis said he had no knowledge of Iraqis being involved in fighting in connection with the Gaza war. But he added: “We will not leave Gaza alone in this conflict because it has an ideological dimension. We will not allow this brutal, barbaric aggression to continue.”