and again at 23:41, an interesting story here…
Iraqis have rallied in Baghdad in massive numbers to call for an end to US military presence in the country following high-profile assassinations and airstrikes targeting anti-terror forces.
Sayed Sadiq al-Hashemi, the director of the Iraqi Center for Studies, said more than 2.5 million took part in the demonstrations on Friday.
Since the early hours on Friday, huge crowds of men, women, and children of all ages converged on the Jadriyah neighborhood near Baghdad University.
The protesters were seen carrying banners and chanting slogans calling for the expulsion of US forces.
Iraqis hold "million-man march" against U.S. forces presence in their country / #Iraq #IraqMillionManMarch https://t.co/DFcpypfDCC
— Press TV (@PressTV) January 24, 2020
“Get out, get out, occupier!” some shouted, while others chanted, “Yes to sovereignty!”
Iraq’s al-Ahd news network reported that Iraqis from all of the country’s provinces had gathered in the city.
On January 5, the Iraqi parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution calling for the expulsion of all foreign forces after the US assassination of Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi trench mate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
The massive rally came after influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on Iraqis to stage “a million-strong, peaceful, unified demonstration to condemn the American presence and its violations”.
Sadr issued a statement on Friday calling for US bases to be shut down and Iraqi airspace closed to US warplanes and surveillance aircraft.
He warned that US presence in the country will be dealt with as an occupying force if Washington does not agree with Iraqi demands to withdraw for the country.
In a message delivered through a representative at Friday prayer in the holy city of Karbala, top cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani also urged Iraqi political groups to do what is needed to safeguard the country’s sovereignty.
He called on Iraqi groups to stand united, far from any foreign influence in countering the dangers which threaten the country.
On Thursday ahead of the planned rallies, Sadr called on Iraqis to mobilize and defend the country’s independence and sovereignty.
“Oh women, men, and youth of the country, the time is now upon us to defend the country, its sovereignty, and dependence,” Sadr said in a tweet.
“Spread the word of an independent future Iraq that will be ruled by the righteous; an Iraq which will not know of corruption nor aggression” he added, calling on Iraqis to expel the “tyrants”.
Various Iraqi resistance groups affiliated with the country’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) have also backed the anti-American rally.
‘Zero hour in a face-off with US’
Speaking to the Lebanese al-Mayadeen television channel, Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesman for the PMU-affiliated Kata’ib Hezbollah resistance group, said “other means” will be used against the Americans if they do not leave Iraq.
The American presence, he said, has led to corruption and instability in the country.
In an interview with Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Firas al-Yasser, a member of the political bureau of Iraq’s Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, said Friday’s rallies marked “a new chapter” in the Arab country’s relations with the US.
He said Iraqi resistance groups support the stance of the country’s clerical leadership, which does not tolerate Washington’s “theory of dependence and humiliation” of Iraq.
“We believe we have reached the Zero Hour in facing off with the US,” he said.
Yasser added that Iran’s missile attack on the Ain al-Assad base in the western Iraqi province of Anbar earlier this month was a “prelude” to the expulsion of US forces from the country.
Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, which is part of the PMU, described Friday’s rallies as a “second revolution” a century after the Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920 against British forces.
Read More:
- The United States has rejected Iraq
- An Iraqi PMU group says it is ready to inflict a heavy loss on US military forces if they refuse to withdraw from the country.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has targeted US airbases in Iraq.
Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades.
Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world’s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues.
Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than “several” countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.
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Errr….Foreign diplomacy such as President Trump creates an extremely hostile environment, permanently. ONE person of any race and description could be handed a few sealed $0.50 glass tubes each containing a quantity of extremely virulent viruses. They could be cracked open at specific urban locations and kill millions of people in less than two weeks. This President Trump dude is still under mind control and full of hate from past traumatic stress. Guaranteed. I think Ward should have a talk with the Beav. I blame the CFRtv.
Gordon, thank you for your direct honesty in the segments.
To the good people of Iraq: Some of us in the U.S. feel your pain. But our country has been hijacked by international criminals in our own Congress (535 whores) and 1 prostitute president and Israel. There is little we can do to these corrupt liars and cheaters.
Criminals in Israel and Bush and Cheney and four star generals did 9/11/01 to start the phony war on terror but blamed on Muslim Patsies. Our country is a traitorous expletive deleted today where the inmates have taken control. A thug from NY named Donald Adolph Hitler is in charge. He is also mentally impaired.
These religious bigots running America beginning with Israel Lover Liar Donald Adolph Hitler hate Muslims and seek to wipe them off the face of Earth.
Globally Immoral People are greedy for Power and those that have somehow attained some Power then the next game for then is to somehow Cling to that Power …….. Macron is a good example of Bastards …. the French People have been daily Protesting and Telling Shitty Macron that His ” Brilliant New ” ideas nobody wants but Macron cannot hear the People at ALL since more than a Year of Protests …… then Another Europeon Colonial Disease is USA with Humpty Trumpty et al …… I just saw Phillinpines President Duterts Interview and Dutert doesn’t hold back or mince Words Flatly Refuses to visit USA ever and says that the USA has a Huge Problem with respecting Anyone’s Sovereignity …… Which is True but the Greedy Americans need to Rip Off Everyone to maintain American ” our Way of Life ” consisting of Looting and Plundering Innocent People even far away …… Iraqi’s thought they were getting Rid of Saddam and like the Bullshit Propaganda goes they were hoping that it’s True that USA is a Friend BUT Tumpety et al have different plans and attitude ……. the USA Iraq relationship is a Relationship of Occupier-Slave ….. Americans are the Masters and How Dare the Iraqi’s get Different ideas ,,,,, the USA is the Master and Must Immediately get Everything valuable from Iraq Without Any Stupid Questions Ever ……,… Iraqi’s should Dare NOT
Refuse USA the great SATAN , an agent to get People Zionistically Enslaved ……..
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