The Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Mohammed Shiya al-Sudani, confirmed today, Friday, that the government has formed a bilateral committee with the United States to schedule the withdrawal of the international coalition from Iraq.
During a speech marking the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani, al-Sudani stated that "the attack that led to the martyrdom of the Deputy Chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces, the martyr Jamal Jaafar Al-Ibrahim (Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis), and Iraq's guest General Qassem Soleimani, was a blow to all norms, treaties, and laws governing the relationship between Iraq and the United States, as it was an unjustifiable heinous crime."
He added that "the government is in the process of determining the start date for the committee's work to finalize arrangements for the complete withdrawal of the international coalition forces from Iraq, and there will be no concessions regarding anything that would complete national sovereignty over Iraqi land and air."
Al-Sudani pointed out that "Iraq has a strategic partnership agreement and diplomatic relations with America, and this represents a violation of the fundamental principles of international relations and what is stipulated in the United Nations Charter regarding the equality of sovereignty among states and the prohibition of the use of force in international relations."
He continued, saying, "The martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis invoked his legacy of struggle and jihad, leading the ranks to protect Iraq from the evils of the terrorist ISIS, rising under the shadow of the religious reference's fatwa to lead the forces of the Popular Mobilization during those difficult days," noting that "Iraq was a man who lost his life wanting Iraq to be free and independent."
Al-Sudani explained that "our region has been living in a tense situation since October 7 of last year due to the aggressive and criminal policies practiced by the occupying authorities against the Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied territories," emphasizing that "we warned that the continuation of the brutal practices in Gaza would have serious repercussions on the region and the world, and we are beginning to feel its effects today in many neighboring countries."
He pointed out that "the most serious incidents are those that have been repeated more than once in Iraq, through attacks by the international coalition forces against the locations of the Popular Mobilization Forces," affirming that "the Popular Mobilization Forces represent an official state entity that is subordinate to the state and an integral part of our armed forces."
Al-Sudani reiterated that "we have repeatedly confirmed that in the event of a breach or violation by any Iraqi party, or if Iraqi law is violated, the Iraqi government is the sole authority responsible for following up on the details of these violations," clarifying that "the government is the authority empowered to enforce the law, and everyone must work through it, and no one may infringe on the sovereignty of Iraq."
The Prime Minister affirmed that "we condemn the attacks targeting our security forces, which violate the spirit and text of the mandate that established the international coalition," emphasizing "the government's ability and readiness to take appropriate decisions to maintain Iraq's sovereignty, security, and stability, as that lies at the core of its responsibilities, commitments, and constitutional duties."
He highlighted that "our firm and principled position is to end the presence of the international coalition after the justifications for its existence have ended," adding that "we are in the process of determining the starting date for dialogue through the bilateral committee formed to arrange the end of this presence, which is a commitment that the government will not waver from, and it will not compromise anything that would complete national sovereignty over the land, sky, and waters of Iraq."
