Three days after the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the Iraqi Parliament asked the government, on January 5, by passing a resolution, to "end the presence of foreign troops" in Iraq. MP Ahmed Al Kanani was among the most virulent against the United States that day.
"The United States and the Pentagon have said explicitly that they ordered the strike [against Soleimani]. We don't want them anymore. For us, it's a declaration of war", explains to France 24, Monday 20 January, Ahmed Al Kanani, MP and member of the Al Sadiqoun party, the political wing of an Iraqi armed group close to Tehran. "We will intensify the diplomatic and political effort so that the government of Adel Abdel Mahdi, or the next government, puts an end to the foreign presence", he continues.
Unlike laws, resolutions of Parliament are not binding on the government. However, before the vote on this resolution, the resigned Iraqi Prime Minister, Adel Abdel Mahdi, had himself called on Parliament to end the presence of foreign troops, while nearly 5,200 American soldiers are still present on Iraqi soil. .
Rejection of foreign forces gaining ground
In Tahrir Square, in Baghdad, the epicenter of the protest which has been calling for an overhaul of the ruling system since early October, the demonstrators do not support the Parliament's decision. Many see a resolution taken "under Iranian influence and not in the interest of the people", while they demand the end of all interference and demonstrate against "the two occupiers: Americans and Iranians".
"We want to be free, without the United States and without Iran. In the past 16 years, what benefits have we had from American troops here? What benefits from Iran in Iraq?" questions Ammar, a protester.
The rejection of foreign forces is gaining ground in Iraq, but it is not unanimous. Originally from the Sunni region of Al-Anbar, Khalid Alrawi and Mamdooh Alrawi fled the Islamic State (IS) group in 2015, before settling in Baghdad. For them, the presence of the coalition is a security issue in the region.
"In Kurdistan and in all Sunni regions, I would say that 90% of us do not want an American departure. The cities have been liberated from the Islamic State group, but the jihadists are still in the desert," said Khalid. Alrawi. Even more than IS, Khalid and Mamdooh fear the Shiite militias. So with the Americans, he feels safe. A speech far removed from that which is held in the Iraqi political cenacle.
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