Iraq MPs want Trump to pull out US troops
BAGHDAD — Iraqi lawmakers on Thursday demanded US forces leave the country in the wake of a surprise visit by President Donald Trump that politicians denounced as arrogant and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
Politicians from both blocs of Iraq’s divided Parliament called for a vote to expel US troops and promised to schedule an extraordinary session to debate the matter.
“Parliament must clearly and urgently express its view about the ongoing American violations of Iraqi sovereignty,” said Salam Al Shimiri, a lawmaker loyal to the populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr.
Trump, making his first presidential visit to troops in a troubled region on Wednesday, said he has no plans to withdraw the 5,200 US forces in the country.
Trump spent three hours at a US air base meeting with American troops during his visit.
AL ASAD AIR BASE (IRAQ) — US President Donald Trump used a lightning visit to Iraq — his first with US troops in a conflict zone since being elected — to defend the withdrawal from Syria and to declare an end to America’s role as the global “policeman”.
Trump landed at 7.16pm local time at Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq, accompanied by his wife Melania, following what he described as a stressful, secrecy shrouded flight on a “pitch black” Air Force One.
The president spoke to a group of about 100 mostly special forces personnel and separately with military leaders before leaving a few hours later. A planned meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi was scrapped and replaced by a phone call, the premier’s office said.
During the call, Trump invited Abdel Mahdi to visit Washington and he accepted, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
White House video showed a smiling Trump shaking hands with camouflage-clad personnel, signing autographs and posing for photos at the base in Iraq.
At the Iraqi base, Trump sought to defend his “America First” policy of pulling back from multinational alliances, including what to many Americans seem like the endless wars of the Middle East.
“It’s not fair when the burden is all on us,” he said. “We don’t want to be taken advantage of any more by countries that use us and use our incredible military to protect them. They don’t pay for it and they’re going to have to.”
“We are spread out all over the world. We are in countries most people haven’t even heard about. Frankly, it’s ridiculous,” he added.
Trump told reporters he had overruled generals asking to extend the Syria deployment, where about 2,000 US forces, joined by other foreign troops, assist local fighters battling the Daesh group.
“You can’t have any more time.
We are spread out all over the world. We are in countries most people haven’t even heard about. Frankly, it’s ridiculous
Donald Trump, US President
You’ve had enough time,” he said he told the top brass.
According to a transcript released by the White House, he thanked troops for the “near-elimination” of Daesh and said “we’ll be watching... very, very closely — the remnants” of the group.
Trump said in Iraq that some of the US troops from Syria “will come here for a stay, but a lot of them are going to be going back home”, the transcript said.
While highlighting the military and financial roles he said Turkey and Saudi Arabia had agreed to play in Syria, Trump also told journalists that “we may go back and help”. According to Trump, the flight into Iraq was unlike anything he’d previously experienced. “If you would have seen what we had to go through in the darkened plane with all windows closed with no light anywhere — pitch black,” he said.
Trump acknowledged he had security concerns about visiting Iraq, saying it was “pretty sad” that he needed such secrecy to see US troops. Trump said he was concerned about making the journey “when I heard what you had to go through”.
“I had concerns about the institution of the presidency. Not for myself personally. I had concerns for the First Lady, I will tell you,” Trump told reporters.
“Pretty sad when you spend $7 trillion in the Middle East, and going in has to be under this massive cover with planes all over and all of the greatest equipment in the world, and you do everything to get in safely,” he said.