Expressing displeasure over the presence of American troops on its soil, an Iraqi television aired an animated video depicting an attack on US military vehicles and coffins wrapped in American flag. The nearly minute-long animated clip was shown in Etejah TV earlier this week.
During his recent visit to Iran, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said that Iraq would not allow any aggression against Iran coming from its territory while referring to the souring Iran-US relations.
Expel the Occupation
The animated video promoting the message 'Expel the Occupation' focuses on destroying the US forces based in the country. Rows of coffins wrapped in American flags are shown in the beginning of the nearly minute-long video. The coffins are placed inside a helicopter which is ready for take-off in a desert. A message that translates to #expel_ the_occupation flashes on screen, reported The Sun.
Soon the scene changes to a desert where a number of US military tanks and vehicles are lined up. A massive fist with flags of Iraq and the pro-Iran Hizbullah Brigades militia wrapped around it comes out of the ground while knocking the military vehicles bearing the American flag, reported the outlet. The caption #expel_ the_occupation, emerges on the screen again.
The clip ends with a note from the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which circulated the clip, saying: "These videos are provided as a public service to an international viewing audience to bridge the language gap and better educate and inform. Material about the states of terrorists and extremists is provided to alert the public to threats and in no way constitutes an endorsement of such activities."
US Handing Over Bases to Iraqi Forces
At present, there are around 5,200 US soldiers in Iraq. In a report published in the Airforce Magazine, it was stated that the US is handing over the control of its bases in Iraq to the Iraqi forces following the progress against the Islamic State group.
Quoting USAF Maj Gen Kenneth P Ekman, the deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, the outlet reported that the US will hand over the Besmaya base south of Baghdad to Iraqi forces on July 25. "There will be some degree of a reduction in force in Iraq, that's what success looks like," Ekman had said.
Al Jazeera reported that during his Tehran visit, al-Kadhimi spoke about Iraq's apprehension about becoming a battlefield between Iran and US. "The people of Iraq want good relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran based on the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of both countries. Iraq is a country that won't allow any aggression or challenge to Iran from its territory," al-Kadhimi was quoted by the outlet.
