Iraqis Call For US Troops To Be Expelled After Trump’s Remarks

US President Donald Trump’s pledge on Sunday to keep American troops in Iraq has been condemned as “an insult” to national sovereignty, fuelling growing calls for Baghdad to expel “foreign forces”.

Trump on Saturday said he wanted to keep American soldiers in Iraq to ‘watch Iran’, but official agreements between the US and Iraq limit their remit to fighting terrorist groups such as the Islamic State and providing training and tactical advice to Iraqi forces.

On Monday, Iraqi President Barham Salih told a forum in Baghdad that Trump did not ask Iraq’s permission for US troops stationed there to “watch Iran”.

Addressing Trump, Salih said: “Don’t overburden Iraq with your own issues… The US is a major power… but do not pursue your own policy priorities, we live here”.

American troops in Iraq are there as part of an agreement between the two countries with a specific mission of combating terrorism, Salih stressed, and that they should stick to that.

“It is of fundamental interest for Iraq to have good relations with Iran” and other neighbouring countries, Salih added.

Speaking to CBS, Trump had said: “One of the reasons I want to keep it [US base in Iraq] is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem.