By: IBRAHIM Jaafar
The Trump administration warned Iraq this week that it risks losing access to a critical government bank account if Baghdad kicks out American forces following the U.S. airstrike that killed a top Iranian general, according to Iraqi officials.
The State Department warned that the U.S. could shut down Iraq’s access to the country’s central bank account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a move that could jolt Iraq’s already shaky economy, the officials said.
The warning came after the Iraqi parliament voted in favour of a resolution demanding the removal of American forces from Iraq following the assassination of Commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, in a US drone attack in Baghdad.
On Friday, the Iraqi government asked Washington to formulate the mechanism for the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq.
The Iraqi request was made during a phone call between the head of the Iraqi caretaker government, Abdul-Mahdi, and US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.
Over 5,000 US soldiers are deployed in military bases throughout Iraq.
Abdul Mahdi informed Pompeo that there are US forces entering Iraq and US drones flying in the Iraqi sky without the permission of the government, constituting a violation of the agreements in force. The US secretary of state promised to follow up on the matter and affirmed his country’s respect for the sovereignty of Iraq, however it was a threat that follows.
According to the most recent financial statement from the Central Bank of Iraq, the Federal Reserve held about $3 billion in overnight deposits at the end of 2018.
Trump threatened that the US forces will not leave unless the Iraqi government paid for the air base America has built there. “We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it,” Trump said.
Why should Iraq pay for those airbase when it was built without a request for it by the Iraqis?
Attacking Islam, Muslims or her land is not new, yesterday it was Mongols, Tatars, Sikhs, to mention few, today its America and her allies. One thing is certain, no matter the policies designed against Islam and muslims, throughout history, the light of Islam is never quenched...and their enemies always go down in history to be story. Let the west watch-out.