According to Baghdad Today, as cited by IraqNews, the head of Iraq’s “Supreme Judicial Council,” a man named Faiq Zaidan, has issued an arrest warrant for former President Trump. The warrant was apparently issued on Thursday, with Iraq News reporting on Friday, January 6th that:
The President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, announced on Thursday the issuance of an arrest warrant for former U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Baghdad Today news agency.
Zaidan mentioned in a statement that the Iraqi judiciary issued an arrest warrant for former U.S. President Donald Trump, who confessed to having committed the crime, calling on those investigating the assassination of the Quds Force commander, Qasem Soleimani, and chief of staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, to make an exceptional effort to uncover the perpetrators, Baghdad Today news agency reported.
“Why has he not yet been held accountable for this heinous crime?” Zaidan asked, referring to Donald Trump.
The same article goes on to describe why Iraq, which many consider to be a strategic partner in the region of the United State, if not a close US ally, would issue an arrest warrant for a former US president, saying:
Iraq, the second-largest oil producer in OPEC, is caught between rivals Iran and the United States, while Iran’s influence has grown exponentially since the toppling of Saddam Hussein following the 2003 U.S. invasion.
In October, ending a long-running stalemate, Iraq’s parliament named a new pro-Iranian prime minister and pro-Iranian parties now dominate, having sidelined Shi’ite rival Moqtada al Sadr, who had been paralyzing the government with anti-Iranian protests.
The State Department, describing US relations with Iraq, provides that:
The U.S. Mission in Iraq is dedicated to our enduring strategic partnership with the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi people. The United States government and the U.S. Mission to Iraq are fully engaged with our Iraqi partners and the Iraqi people in our efforts to support a stable, prosperous, democratic, and unified Iraq.
In coordination with the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, the United States assisted Iraq’s efforts to achieve the December 2017 milestone of liberating the country from ISIS. Following the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq, the United States increased efforts to stabilize liberated areas, and our security relationship fully transitioned to an advise, enable, and assist role in December 2021. Iraq is now a key partner for the United States in the region as well as a voice of moderation and democracy in the Middle East. Iraq benefits from active government institutions, including an engaged legislature, and plays an increasingly constructive role in the region. The United States maintains vigorous and broad engagement with Iraq on diplomatic, political, economic, and security issues in accordance with the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA).
The SFA between Iraq and the United States provides the foundation for the U.S.-Iraq bilateral relationship. Covering a wide range of bilateral issues, including political relations and diplomacy, defense and security, trade and finance, energy, judicial and law enforcement issues, services, science, culture, education, and environment, it emphasizes the important relationship and common goals the two countries share. Efforts to implement the SFA are overseen by the Higher Coordinating Committee and several Joint Coordination Committees.
Former President Trump ordered the strike that killed IRGC General Soleimani in the summer of 2020, taking out the notorious backer of terrorism with a drone strike. The Iranians responded with missiles that hit a US base in Iraq.
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