PMF Demands Immediate Withdrawal of US Forces from Iraq

Supporters and members of Iraq's PMF wave flags as they march in Baghdad to condemn a US air strike in the south of the capital that killed four members of the Hashed, on July 31, 2024. (AFP)
Supporters and members of Iraq's PMF wave flags as they march in Baghdad to condemn a US air strike in the south of the capital that killed four members of the Hashed, on July 31, 2024. (AFP)
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PMF Demands Immediate Withdrawal of US Forces from Iraq

Supporters and members of Iraq's PMF wave flags as they march in Baghdad to condemn a US air strike in the south of the capital that killed four members of the Hashed, on July 31, 2024. (AFP)
Supporters and members of Iraq's PMF wave flags as they march in Baghdad to condemn a US air strike in the south of the capital that killed four members of the Hashed, on July 31, 2024. (AFP)

The Iran-backed Popular Mobilizations Forces (PMF) demanded on Wednesday the "immediate" withdrawal of American forces from Iraq in wake of the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the US strike on Iraqi armed factions south of Baghdad.

Iraqi police and medical sources said the strike inside a base south of Baghdad used by the PMF killed four members of the group that contains several Iran-aligned armed militias, and wounded four others.

US officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the United States carried out an airstrike in Musayib, located in Babil province, but did not provide more details on the location.

The officials added that the strike targeted militants that the US deemed were looking to launch drones and posed a threat to US and coalition forces. The officials did not comment on any casualties.

"This action underscores the United States' commitment to the safety and security of our personnel," one of the officials said.

Iraq condemned the strike saying the US-led military coalition committed a "heinous crime" by targeting security sites south of Baghdad and said the attacks were a serious violation of the coalition's mission and mandate, an Iraqi military spokesman said in a statement.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PMF said the US attack was a "hostile act" against the forces, "demanding that we do what is necessary in our national duty to defend Iraq’s dignity and sovereignty."

It also called for a decision to be taken on the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.

Haniyeh’s assassination, it went on to say, shows that "enemies are plotting to ignite the region and expand the war" on Gaza.

It stressed that Haniyeh’s "blood won’t go to waste," adding that he had dedicated his life to the liberation of Palestine.

"The cowardly assassination will only make the honorable resistance fighters only more determined to continue their jihad," it added.

‘Gates of Hell’

Meanwhile, leader of the pro-Iran Nujaba movement Akram al-Kaabi said: "The Americans and Zionists have opened the gates of Hell after Haniyeh’s assassination, the reckless strike on the southern Beirut suburbs, and the deceitful American strike against fighters in Iraq."

"These assassinations will make the resistance more determined," he said in a post on the X platform.

The Nujaba and other pro-Iran factions had been launching attacks against American forces in Iraq in wake of the eruption of the war on Gaza. The Nujaba announced a truce in February, before recently saying that it was ending it.

Kaabi had described the truce at the time as "the calm before the storm."

Govt recommendations

Former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi warned that attacks on the PMF "undermine relations between Washington and Baghdad."

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani chaired on Wednesday a meeting of military and security leaderships.

A government statement said he was briefed on the security developments and the possible fallout of the regional escalation.

Sudani made a number of recommendations to the forces, added the statement without elaborating.



Blinken Lays Out Post-war Gaza Plan to Be Handed to Trump Team

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
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Blinken Lays Out Post-war Gaza Plan to Be Handed to Trump Team

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday laid out plans for the post-war management of Gaza, saying the outgoing Biden administration would hand over the roadmap to President-elect Donald Trump's team to pick up if a ceasefire deal is reached.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington in his final days as the US top diplomat, Blinken said Washington envisioned a reformed Palestinian Authority leading Gaza and inviting international partners to help establish and run an interim administration for the enclave.

A security force would be formed from forces from partner nations and vetted Palestinian personnel, Blinken said during his speech, which was repeatedly interrupted by protesters who accused him of supporting genocide by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel denies.

He was speaking as negotiators met in Qatar hoping to finalize a plan to end the war in Gaza after 15 months of conflict that has upended the Middle East.

"For many months, we've been working intensely with our partners to develop a detailed post-conflict plan that would allow Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza, prevent Hamas from filling back in, and provide for Gaza's governance, security and reconstruction," Blinken said.

Trump and his incoming team have not said whether they would implement the plan.

Blinken said a post-conflict plan and a "credible political horizon for Palestinians" was needed to ensure that Hamas does not re-emerge.

The United States had repeatedly warned Israel that Hamas could not be defeated by a military campaign alone, he said. "We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new fighters as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war."

PROTESTERS

Blinken's remarks were interrupted three times by protesters, who echoed accusations that the Biden administration was complicit in crimes committed by Israel in the war.

Blinken has denied Israel's actions amount to genocide and says he has pushed Israel to do more to protect civilians and to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel launched its assault after Hamas-led fighters stormed across its borders on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's aerial and ground campaign has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, drawing accusations of genocide in a World Court case brought by South Africa and of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the allegations.

The assault has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population and drawn the concern of the world’s main hunger monitor.

"You will forever be known as bloody Blinken, secretary of genocide," one protester shouted before being led out of the event.

Blinken remained calm, telling one heckler: "I respect your views. Please allow me to share mine," before resuming his remarks.

Blinken said US officials had debated "vigorously" the Biden administration's response to the war, a reference to a slew of resignations by officials in his State Department who have criticized the policy to continue providing arms and diplomatic cover to Israel.

Others felt Washington had held Israel back from inflicting greater damage on Iran and its proxies, he said.

"It is crucial to ask questions like these, which will be studied for years to come," he said. "I wish I could stand here today and tell you with certainty that we got every decision right. I cannot."