Iraqi Parliament Says Foreign Troops Must Leave by Sept. 30
Iraqi lawmaker Abbas al-Maliki said the country will not allow any foreign military presence after the deadline set for Sept. 30 passes. He described the move as part of a process to end the presence of foreign forces and assert Iraq’s full sovereignty over all of its territory.
Al-Maliki said Iraqi security forces have the capacity to run the country and protect its borders and stability without relying on foreign support. He said Iraqi institutions are working to complete the withdrawal of foreign forces according to the set timetable.
The Iraqi lawmaker also added that parliament is closely monitoring how the timetable is being implemented and the extent to which the relevant parties are complying with it. He did not provide further details on the mechanism for parliamentary oversight.
Earlier, informed sources had reported the movement of a large convoy of U.S. troops from Harir base near Erbil toward southern areas of Iraq. According to the report, these forces may be relocated to bases in Kuwait.
Harir base in Iraq’s Kurdistan region has been one of the locations hosting U.S. forces in recent years, and the presence of foreign troops has long been among the key political and security issues in Iraq.
