Iraq's outgoing PM vows 'most severe penalties' for attackers of US Embassy in Baghdad
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s outgoing Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi on Tuesday vowed “most severe” punishments for anyone who attacks the US Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone, in front of which crowds composed of Iranian-backed militias and their supporters are currently gathered.
On Tuesday afternoon, thousands of supporters of the Hashd al-Shaabi militias, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), marched toward the American mission compound in Baghdad to condemn US airstrikes two days earlier that killed and wounded dozens of militia fighters.
Footage from the scene showed thousands gathered around the US Embassy, waving Iraqi and Hashd al-Shaabi flags and chanting “Death to America!” slogans in opposition to America’s presence in the country.
Among the participants of the gathering were leaders and top commanders of militias within the PMF, including Falih Fayyadh, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Hadi al-Amiri, Qais Khazali, and Abu Alaa al-Wala’i, among others.
Read More: Iraqi protesters attempt to storm US Embassy in Baghdad in retaliation for airstrikes
Embassy guards fired tear gas at the crowds to prevent them from attacking the building. Iraqi counter-terrorism forces are deployed at the location.
Abdul-Mahdi said in a statement that his administration had condemned the US airstrikes and “took a series of measures to address the situation in a way that secures the sovereignty of Iraq and the security of its citizens.”
He called on those gathered at the US Embassy to continue with their ceremony of honoring their dead – militias who died in the airstrikes – but urged them to stay away from the mission building, for which, Abdul Mahdi said, the Iraqi government is responsible for protecting.
“Therefore, we ask everyone to leave these places immediately, and we note that any aggression or harassment of foreign embassies and missions is an act that the security forces will strictly prevent, and the law will punish [attackers] with the most severe penalties.”
The incident comes after the US launched five strikes on Sunday against facilities belonging to the Iraqi militia, Kata’ib Hizbollah, as it charged that the Iranian-backed entity was behind a lethal attack on K-1, an Iraqi military base outside Kirkuk where American troops are stationed.
On Monday, the Iraqi government condemned the US operation, describing it as “an unacceptable vicious assault that will have dangerous consequences.”
The developments occur amid ongoing anti-government protests in central and southern parts of Iraq that have left over 500 people dead and close to 20,000 more injured, according to unofficial statistics, leading to Abdul Mahdi’s resignation.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany