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Iraq officially rejects US claim of Iran role in Basra violence
[PRESSTV] Iraq’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed... Tut tut, my good man!... accusations by the United States that Iran is to blame for recent violence ‐ including through alleged holy warrior groups ‐ in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, where Washington recently closed its consulate. "There are no forces or military groups in Iraq that receive orders from abroad, whether from Iran or from another country," said Iraq’s Foreign Ministry front man Ahmad Mahjoub in Washington on Wednesday, according The Washington Times. He was speaking during a round-table discussion with news hounds held at the Iraqi Embassy in the US capital, where he is on a trip to hold talks with US officials. Mahjoub said Iraqi authorities were "surprised" by Washington’s recent decision to withdraw American personnel from the US consulate in Basra following an apparent rocket attack at the diplomatic perimeter. "We were surprised that our American friends withdrew their staff from the US consulate." He said, adding that Baghdad was "committed to protecting all foreign missions in Basra." Earlier, on Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had blamed Iran for the violence in Basra and the emergency evacuation of US personnel from there, as well as for alleged security threats to the Americans stationed at the US Embassy in Baghdad. Posted by: Fred 2018-10-05 |
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