Iraq’s Top Court Rejects Case Seeking to Expel US Forces

Training at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq (Archive - US Army)

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court (FSC) rejected a lawsuit filed by two lawmakers seeking to expel US forces from Iraq.
The FSC stated on their website that they had dismissed the lawsuit against the President and the Prime Minister of Iraq, filed by parliament members Basem Khashan and Mustafa Sind, due to lack of jurisdiction.
The lawsuit included a demand seeking to invalidate the defendants’ approval to allow US forces to stay in Iraq, and for US forces to restore the areas and facilities that they were exploiting, and compensation for the damages caused by their operations from 2009 until the facilities were handed over to the Iraqi government.
While legal experts see a political way to remove US forces from Iraq, Maj.Gen. Yahya Rasool, the military spokesperson for the Iraqi government, says that “negotiation committees have made significant progress in transitioning the international coalition’s mission.”
US forces are leading the international coalition to fight the ISIS terror group in Iraq.
Rasool added that “the government has largely reduced attacks on Iraqi military bases where coalition advisors are present.”
He emphasized that “Iraq has a military security agreement with the US, and negotiation committees have made good progress in ensuring Iraq maintains good relations with the US."
Legal expert Ali Al-Tamimi explained that “after ISIS’s attack, Iraq officially asked the US for help under UN Security Council Resolution 2170, which brought coalition forces for air support, training, and assistance.”
“Nevertheless, no new agreement exists for foreign troops or bases, so the Iraqi government can request their removal after a parliamentary vote.”
He stressed that “Iraq can also formally request the UN Security Council to remove coalition forces, including US forces, following the same procedure as their entry.”