NOURNEWS - In an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Davood Ahmadzadeh underlined the need for the American troops to pull out of Iraq following a resolution passed in the Iraqi parliament. He noted: “One day after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the United States sought to discuss the entry of foreign forces, led by the US-led coalition in Iraq in the form of struggle against the Takfiri-Salafi groups and the remnants of the Ba’athist regime in Iraq. The United States then sought to maintain a Iraqi popular mobilization presence in Iraq with the aim of establishing security, calm, and peace in the country; “But in practice, what happened were more ethnic and tribal divisions in Iraq.”
He continued: “Because the overthrow of the Ba’athist regime in Iraq, as a traditional ally of some conservative Arab regimes in the region, including Saudi Arabia, changed the balance of power in Iraq and the region; “So from the beginning, the American presence with the slogan of fighting extremist groups, as well as ISIS, not only did not create peace and stability in Iraq in practice but also created challenges internally in the country and the region.”
According to the expert, the occupying forces of the US-led coalition were trying to establish an allied government in Iraq, and this caused the Shiites, as a conventional political weight in Iraq and the region who played a key role in the overthrow of the Ba’athist regime, to take a different stance and oppose the actions of the Americans.
Ahmadzadeh noted that Washington’s apparent interventions, both under Barack Obama and Donald Trump, posed challenges to the nation-state in Iraq. “These interventions have made Iraq a safe haven for terrorist groups, including ISIS,” he said.
The expert stressed that the continuation of the occupation process was met with serious opposition from Iraqi political groups, including Sunnis and Shiites; he said: “Therefore, last year we saw the approval of the plan to require the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq by the Iraqi parliament, and this public demand remains strong.”
Referring to the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, he said: “There is still no precise information on the formation of a clear US policy towards the region, including how to continue its presence in Iraq. “However, some speculation suggests that with the coming to power of Joe Biden in the United States, we may see an acceleration in the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and other countries in the region.”
According to the expert on Middle East issues, what is certain is that the presence of these forces and their obvious interference in the political affairs of Iraq will not help to bring peace and stability in Iraq, and the future of Iraq will be decided by various political groups including Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis.
Ahmadzadeh emphasized that this policy is the same policy that has been supported by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Because Iran’s main goal is to establish lasting peace and stability in Iraq and reduce ethnic and religious tensions in the neighboring country and for this purpose, it has paid heavy financial and military costs.
Referring to repeated allegations made by the United States and its allies, including Saudi Arabia, in connection with Iran’s presence in Iraq and its support for Iraqi popular mobilization group known as Hashad al-Shaabi, said: “We must not forget that at the height of the unrest and the massive attacks by the ISIS and Takfiri forces, there are repeated accusations made by the United States and its allies, including Saudi Arabia, about Iran’s presence in Iraq and its support for Iraqi popular mobilization groups known as Hashad al-Shaabi,” he said. ISIS and Takfiri to Iraq and the domination of these extremist groups in various areas with the support of Saudi Arabia and the unconditional condescension of the Americans, Iran at the request of the Iraqi people’s government provided some military and financial assistance to liberate the occupied territories and defeat of ISIS in the region. Including Iraq.
He said in conclusion: “This double standard policy by Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries that voice support for the Iraqi government in their declarative policies, but in practice provide military and financial assistance to the extremist ISIS group, seeking to destabilize the region and wage war are in open contradiction; therefore, the discussion of the US and Saudi accusations about Iran’s interference is completely rejected and the support for pro-Iranian groups, namely Hashad al-Shaabi, has been aimed at creating peace and security in Iraq. Also, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported the integration of Iraq and the formation of a powerful government in this country.”
SCFR