{"id":139824,"date":"2019-02-04T20:43:52","date_gmt":"2019-02-04T18:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arabtelegraph.com\/?p=139824"},"modified":"2019-02-04T20:43:52","modified_gmt":"2019-02-04T18:43:52","slug":"iraqis-call-for-us-troops-to-be-expelled-after-trumps-remarks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabtelegraph.com\/?p=139824","title":{"rendered":"Iraqis Call For US Troops To Be Expelled After Trump\u2019s Remarks"},"content":{"rendered":"

US President Donald Trump\u2019s pledge on Sunday to keep American troops in Iraq has been condemned as \u201can insult\u201d to national sovereignty, fuelling growing calls for Baghdad to expel \u201cforeign forces\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trump on Saturday said he wanted to keep American soldiers in Iraq to \u2018watch Iran\u2019, 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.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Iraqi President Barham Salih told a forum in Baghdad that Trump did not ask Iraq\u2019s permission for US troops stationed there to \u201cwatch Iran\u201d.<\/p>\n

Addressing Trump, Salih said: \u201cDon\u2019t overburden Iraq with your own issues\u2026 The US is a major power\u2026 but do not pursue your own policy priorities, we live here\u201d.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is of fundamental interest for Iraq to have good relations with Iran\u201d and other neighbouring countries, Salih added.<\/p>\n

Speaking to CBS, Trump had said: \u201cOne 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.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI want to be able to watch Iran,\u201d he added, but denied he had plans to strike Iraq\u2019s neighbour.<\/p>\n

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