The Iran situation may or may not be over already, but Iraq is not backing away from its request for the US to withdraw its troops from Iraq. From Tyler Durden at zerohedge.com:
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who is still serving in a ‘caretaker’ capacity, has informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the US must establish a mechanism for the full withdrawal of remaining US troops in Iraq, which according to most estimates numbers around 5,000. Toward that end the Iraqi PM requested a US delegation be sent to work out such a plan.
According to the AP, Abdul-Mahdi made the request during a phone call with Pompeo on Thursday night. Specifically, the statement urged the administration to “send delegates to Iraq to prepare a mechanism to carry out the parliament’s resolution regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.”
Despite what appears a temporary de-escalation following Iran’s ballistic missile ‘counter-attack’ avenging the death of Qasem Soleimani, Abdul-Mahdi appears to have maintained his stance that the Americans should depart: “The prime minister said American forces had entered Iraq and drones are flying in its airspace without permission from Iraqi authorities and this was a violation of the bilateral agreements,” the statement continued.
