Abadi slams Trump remarks about use of Iraqi territory to “watch” Iran
US troops. File photo.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Former Iraqi prime minister Haider al Abadi has criticized remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday about the presence of American troops in Iraq to “watch” Iran.
“The recent remarks about the use of American military bases in Iraq to target neighboring countries contradict with the Iraqi constitution and agreements signed with the U.S.,” Iraqi Al-Taghier TV channel quoted Abadi’s media office as saying in a statement on Monday.
Abadi added that the U.S. participation in the anti-Islamic State international coalition is mainly meant to serve the purposes of logistic support, intelligence and military training, not to endanger Iraqi sovereignty.
Abadi further called on the government to affirm Iraq’s unshakable stance that “Iraqi territory cannot be used against any neighboring country or any party.”
Trump on Sunday revealed plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq to monitor and maintain pressure on neighboring Iran, committing to an American military presence in the region’s war zones even as he moves to withdraw forces from Syria and Afghanistan.
“I want to be able to watch Iran,” Mr. Trump said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “We’re going to keep watching and we’re going to keep seeing and if there’s trouble, if somebody is looking to do nuclear weapons or other things, we’re going to know it before they do.”