Anger in Iraq after a new American strike in the heart of Baghdad

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[size=52]Anger in Iraq after a new American strike in the heart of Baghdad[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad on Thursday condemned the United States' "assassination" of a leader in Kataib Hezbollah, the Iran-linked faction responsible for attacks against American forces, accusing the international coalition to combat ISIS, led by Washington, of becoming a "factor of instability" for Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]Baghdad announced on Thursday the resumption of talks with the United States on Sunday with the aim of discussing the future of the international coalition in the country. These talks, which aim, according to Baghdad, to “end the coalition’s mission” in Iraq, were suspended in late January after the attack that killed three American soldiers in Jordan on the border with Syria.[/size]
[size=45]In response to this attack, Washington launched raids in Iraq and Syria about a week ago. On Wednesday evening, Abu Baqir al-Saadi, a prominent leader in the Hezbollah Brigades, was killed in a strike carried out by an American drone that targeted his car in a vital neighborhood in Baghdad on Wednesday evening.[/size]
[size=45]The US Central Command, Centcom, said in a statement on Wednesday that the strike led to the killing of “a leader in the Hezbollah Brigades who was responsible for direct planning and participation in attacks on American forces in the region.”[/size]
[size=45]In a statement on Thursday, the Iraqi government condemned “a clear-cut assassination by directing an air strike in the middle of a residential neighborhood in the capital, Baghdad, in a manner that does not care about the lives of civilians and international laws.”[/size]
[size=45]Yahya Rasoul, spokesman for the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said in a statement, “The international coalition completely exceeds the reasons and purposes for which it was found on our land.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, "This path pushes the Iraqi government more than ever before to end the mission of this coalition, which has become a factor of instability for Iraq and threatens to drag Iraq into the circle of regional conflict."[/size]
[size=45]“Ending the coalition’s mission.”
Yahya Rasool said in a statement on Thursday evening that “the Supreme Bilateral Military Technical Committee between Iraq and the United States will resume its work next Sunday, February 11, 2024,” with the aim of “discussing and scheduling the end of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq,” while Iraq's partners appear more cautious when talking about the future of the coalition in the country.[/size]
[size=45]The United States deploys about 2,500 soldiers in Iraq and 900 in neighboring Syria as part of the international coalition established in 2014 to combat ISIS.[/size]
[size=45]Several countries are participating in this coalition, whose mission is currently to provide advice and support to the Iraqi forces and prevent the organization from re-emerging.[/size]
[size=45]Since mid-October, American forces and the international coalition in Iraq and Syria have been subjected to more than 165 attacks, a direct reflection of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).[/size]
[size=45]Most of these attacks were claimed by the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” which includes fighters in pro-Iranian factions, most notably the Hezbollah Brigades. The factions say that their attacks come in solidarity with Gaza and against American support for Israel in its war with Hamas.[/size]
[size=45]Officials in Washington said that the attack that took place in Jordan against American forces bore the “imprint of the Hezbollah Brigades.”[/size]
[size=45]The Brigades announced in late January the “suspension” of operations against the United States in the country in order not to “embarrass” the Iraqi government, after Washington pledged to respond “in an appropriate manner” to the attack in Jordan.[/size]
[size=45]Despite announcing the suspension of its attacks, the Brigades recommended in its statement to its fighters “passive defense (temporarily)” in the event of any “hostile” American action towards them.[/size]
[size=45]Washington classifies Kataib Hezbollah as a “terrorist” organization and has previously targeted the faction with raids in Iraq in recent weeks.[/size]
[size=45]“Declaration of War”
Hundreds participated in Al-Saadi’s funeral ceremony in Baghdad on Thursday afternoon. The latter was responsible for the “Syrian military file” in the Hezbollah Brigades, according to what a source in this faction said, preferring not to reveal his identity.[/size]
[size=45]On Thursday, Tehran condemned the American strike, considering it a “threat” to security and peace. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement that “the continuation of these adventures by the United States represents a threat to regional and international peace and security.”[/size]
[size=45]The Badr Organization, one of the most influential Popular Mobilization Forces factions and an ally of Tehran, considered in a statement on Thursday that the American strike was “a treacherous act and a declaration of war on Iraq.”[/size]
[size=45]She added, “At a time when the government was and is still making a continuous diplomatic effort to remove foreign forces with an understanding... this crime expresses the insistence of America and its allies to act according to the logic of murder and brutality.”[/size]
[size=45]The coordination framework, the political alliance that includes parties and forces close to Iran and supportive of the Iraqi government, denounced “repeated attacks by American forces on Iraq’s sovereignty.”[/size]
[size=45]A week ago, 16 Popular Mobilization Forces fighters were killed in American strikes in Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]Sajjad Jiyad, a researcher at the Century International Research Center, believed that tensions in the Middle East will continue for weeks or months, and that the factions linked to Iran are not ready to back down.[/size]
[size=45]Jiyad explained, “These groups have important capabilities and are active in several countries. The United States is ready to respond, kill their members, and target their sites.” “The United States is giving no indication that it is ready to back down in the Middle East.”[/size]
[size=45]He adds, “There is a high possibility of escalation, and this does not necessarily mean an open war between the United States and Iran.”[/size]
[size=45](AFP)[/size]
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