Iraqi president says Trump did not ask permission to 'watch Iran'

By Ahmed Aboulenein and John Davison

 

FILE PHOTO: Iraq's President Barham Salih attends the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy November 22, 2018. REUTERS/Max Rossi

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi President Barham Salih said on Monday that President Donald Trump did not ask Iraq's permission for U.S. troops stationed there to "watch Iran."

 

Speaking at a forum in Baghdad, Salih was responding to a question about Trump's comments to CBS about how he would ask troops stationed in Iraq to "watch" Iran.

 

U.S. troops in Iraq are there as part of an agreement between the two countries with a specific mission of combating terrorism, Salih said, and that they should stick to that.

 

Trump said it was important to keep a U.S. military presence in Iraq so that Washington can keep a close eye on Iran "because Iran is a real problem," according to a CBS interview broadcast on Sunday.

 

"Don't overburden Iraq with your own issues," Salih said. "The U.S. is a major power ... but do not pursue your own policy priorities, we live here."

 

Iraq is in a difficult position as tensions between its two biggest allies, the United States and Iran, increase.

 

"It is of fundamental interest for Iraq to have good relations with Iran" and other neighbouring countries, Salih said.

 

(Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and John Davison, editing by Louise Heavens)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-04

Well said President Trump Salih

I laughed out loud...the US has a history of failing to inform other countries of their nefarious intentions.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Iraqi president says Trump did not ask permission to 'watch Iran'

Why should the head honcho of the world police need a permission?

Oops!

Salih shouldn't worry.  Trump was just talking out of his ass. But then he doesn't know Trump as well as us Americans do.

Trump parroting the Saudi line again. Jared must have been on Whatsapp.

Edited February 5, 20197 yr by Briggsy

13 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Maybe Trump should tell the Iraqi president that if he doesn't pull his head in, the US will go back and take all the oil to pay for the war. I never understood how the US could go to war there, spend billions and lose thousands of US troops, and apparently get nothing back.

Mind you, I thought the war was wrong, based on lies, and the US should never have gone there again.

 

BTW, in my understanding the Iraqis are controlled by Iran, so it's not surprising the president would say something like that.

Your understanding is somewhat defective. The Iranians and the Iraqis have a lot of interests in common. Just by the fact that they share a very long border and are each others' biggest trading partners. And since 60 percent of Iraqis are Shia, a sect that is widely loathed by Salafists, there is that too. It is true that Iran does try and push its weight around in Iraq and funds some militias. But they get plenty of pushback from Iraqis and in no way can be said to control Iraq.

As for your  comment about how the US was apparently owed some kind of compensation for it's illegal invasion of Iraq, apart from it's obvious repugnancy, tell that to the millions of refugees that invasion has created. Does the US owe them anything?  

53 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Maybe Trump should tell the Iraqi president that if he doesn't pull his head in, the US will go back and take all the oil to pay for the war.

 

 

Trump has already made bone-headed statements like this.  Now there are videos of this circulating around the middle east, being used as terrorist recruitment material.  Good going, Donald. 

 

53 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I never understood how the US could go to war there, spend billions and lose thousands of US troops, and apparently get nothing back.

 

 

That's war profiteering.  You don't understand why the US doesn't want to get involved in war profiteering?

To heck with watching Iran keep an eye on Donald he is far more dangerous!!

56 minutes ago, Tug said:

To heck with watching Iran keep an eye on Donald he is far more dangerous!!

There is some few nutheads to watch out for, one genious, and one eith his head up his ass, as well the yellow danger!

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How many Americans have you informed that they should pay hugely increased taxes to pay for your suggestion? I bet they ain't impressed.

I agree that the war was illegal, but unfortunately Bush and his minions are unlikely to ever see the inside of a jail cell for it.

However, perhaps the Iraqi president should be reminded that he'd still be being oppressed by Saddam, but for the Americans.

But for the Americans - Iraqis would probably have felt much safer! Now they are oppressed by the USA, who, along with the Brits, instantly made the world as insanely dangerous as it is right now!

19 hours ago, webfact said:

U.S. troops in Iraq are there as part of an agreement between the two countries with a specific mission of combating terrorism, Salih said, and that they should stick to that.

 

if that is the case and if it is true that iran is a major player in exporting and organizing terrorism then keeping an eye on iran is not out of the ordinary.  suspect the iraqi president made the statement for damage control, to control damage iran could do possibly do to him or his family.

Why 'watch' Iran; the world is afraid to do anything. Save the USA dollars and come home to watch, we'll know when they try to get the world to heaven.

21 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Why should the head honcho of the world police need a permission?

Perhaps because Iraq is not his country and not part of the USA either.

Posts containing offensive language have been as well as the replies.

 

A post in violation of fair use violation has been removed. 

3 hours ago, atyclb said:

 

if that is the case and if it is true that iran is a major player in exporting and organizing terrorism then keeping an eye on iran is not out of the ordinary.  suspect the iraqi president made the statement for damage control, to control damage iran could do possibly do to him or his family.

The Israelis are keeping a very close watch on Iranian activities in Syria and regularly making military strikes against Iranian assets in Syria and elsewhere.  However, it seems to me trump has let yet another intelligence manifest into the public domain.

 

The US has constantly stuffed up the Sunni / Shiite political balance in Iraq, trump should learn the benefits of silence.

Edited February 5, 20197 yr by simple1

5 hours ago, atyclb said:

 

if that is the case and if it is true that iran is a major player in exporting and organizing terrorism then keeping an eye on iran is not out of the ordinary.  suspect the iraqi president made the statement for damage control, to control damage iran could do possibly do to him or his family.

The president is a Kurd, so I guess his familly is well protected in autonomous Kurdistan.

 

Mind you, the Bush administration has introduced a form of government based on religion in a formerly clerical country: the president (who has not much power) must be Kurd (usually Sunni muslim), the PM (who has most power) Shia Muslim and the house speaker Sunni Muslim. Meanwhile, Christians are leaving the country.... Thank you Bush, Cheney, Bolton et al. ????

Do you really think the U.S.A needs soldier's on the ground to spy . 

2 hours ago, BTB1977 said:

Do you really think the U.S.A needs soldier's on the ground to spy . 

 

no, as a military deterrent / threat within ominously close striking distance ?

1 hour ago, atyclb said:

 

no, as a military deterrent / threat within ominously close striking distance ?

That worked so well the last time.

13 hours ago, attrayant said:

 

Trump has already made bone-headed statements like this.  Now there are videos of this circulating around the middle east, being used as terrorist recruitment material.  Good going, Donald. 

 

 

That's war profiteering.  You don't understand why the US doesn't want to get involved in war profiteering?

You  sick joke  so cruelly !

Some off topic posts and the replies have been removed. 

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 4:06 PM, Bundooman said:

But for the Americans - Iraqis would probably have felt much safer! Now they are oppressed by the USA, who, along with the Brits, instantly made the world as insanely dangerous as it is right now!

? Saddam was a dictator who ruled by fear. I doubt many Iraqis felt "safe".

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

? Saddam was a dictator who ruled by fear. I doubt many Iraqis felt "safe".

It's all relative. They were certainly less endangered before the American invasion.