President Donald Trump’s surprise trip to Iraq may have quieted criticism at home that he had yet to visit troops in a combat zone, but it has infuriated Iraqi politicians who on Thursday demanded the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
“Arrogant” and “a violation of national sovereignty” were but a few examples of the disapproval emanating from Baghdad following Trump’s meeting Wednesday with U.S. servicemen and women at the al-Asad Airbase.
Trips by U.S. presidents to conflict zones are typically shrouded in secrecy and subject to strict security measures, and Trump’s was no exception. Few in Iraq or elsewhere knew the U.S. president was in the country until minutes before he left.
But this trip came as curbing foreign influence in Iraqi affairs has become a hot-button political issue in Baghdad, and Trump’s perceived presidential faux-pas was failing to meet with the prime minister in a break with diplomatic custom for any visiting head of state.
On the ground for only about three hours, the American president told the men and women with the U.S. military that Islamic State forces have been vanquished, and he defended his decision against all advice to withdraw U.S. troops from neighboring Syria, He said the U.S. was once again respected as a nation, and declared: “We’re no longer the suckers, folks.”
The abruptness of his visit left lawmakers in Baghdad smarting and drawing unfavorable comparisons to the occupation of Iraq after the 2003 invasion.
“Trump needs to know his limits. The American occupation of Iraq is over,” said Sabah al-Saidi, the head of one of two main blocs in Iraq’s parliament.
(AP)
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8 Responses
The arrogance of this man is unequalled. He’s dictating what the U.S. will be doing in someone else’s country without consulting with them. This is in line with the absolute stupidity of saying Mexico is going to pay for the wall. The most incompetent dumbbell ever to hold the office.
Our President Trump will decide when we should pull our forces from a nation we spent trillions of dollars
and thousand of lives to rescue from a dictator.
We do not take orders.
Respect our President!
What president?
Some nerve! The US spend trillions of $ in that country, thousands of US lives and they have the nerve to want to expel US troops?! They wanted them to fight ISIS, to get rid of Saddam, right? You don’t get to pick and choose like this. And I am not a diehard fan of Trump to say the least. But respect for the US and it’s democratically elected President is the least these idiots can have.
Maybe Trump’s purpose in visiting Iraq was to inspire the Iraqi government to ask the US to leave. If so, that is a success he can sort of claim.
Hopefully, he will have a similar effect on the US Congress, and they will require him to leave the White House. Let me emphasize: the US Congress must have grounds to require him to leave.
rt, excuse me, it was Bush who invaded Iraq and created the cesspool of infighting, ISIS, and other problems that have worldwide effects to this day that make pulling out the troops at once unfeasable . Obama dis not pull out the troops either. Stop being so ridiculous.
Dear rt
I understand you have an uncontrollable hatred towards the president of the USA, but he did the same as Bush did years ago – the same surprise visit. So why is this becoming now by you a personal thing against Trump??????? Some of you commenters on the website are such babies!!! And the saddest part of it is the fact that you guys arent embarrased with it (actually you guys are! Thats why everyone disuises themselves here under made up funny names), and have no problem showing off in front of everyone reading these comments your “brightness” and “matureness”.
Pull our troops out, Mr. Prez, and let them stink in their own cesspool alone..
We’ve been there too long anyway.