Badr leader calls for a review of Iraq’s agreements with Washington

BAGHDAD — Badr Organization Secretary-General Hadi al-Amiri called Wednesday for a comprehensive review of all Iraq’s agreements with the United States, foremost the security agreement, after U.S. and Saudi aircraft struck Popular Mobilization Forces sites across seven governorates.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the criminal and unjustified aggression that targeted Iraq’s sovereignty and its armed forces,” Amiri said in a statement, and called on the government to “take a firm and decisive position toward this infringement of Iraq’s sovereignty and the targeting of its heroic forces,” which he said had played the primary role in securing the country and continued to pursue remnants of the Islamic State group.

He said Washington’s role “places the United States before its legal and moral responsibilities” and that it “should have complied with the security agreement concluded with Iraq, respected its sovereignty and fulfilled its obligations to protect Iraq’s security and repel any aggression targeting its territory and military institutions.” The review he demanded should be conducted, he said, “in a manner consistent with Iraq’s supreme national interests and preserving its sovereignty and dignity.”

Amiri described the operation as a Saudi attack carried out “with support from U.S. aircraft,” a characterization that differs from the accounts given by both governments. U.S. Central Command described it as a joint operation with Saudi forces, and Saudi Arabia said it had coordinated the strikes with CENTCOM.

He said Iraqis were “surprised by this blatant aggression from a neighboring country to which Iraq has long extended the hand of brotherhood and cooperation,” and alleged that Baghdad had shown patience over years in which terrorist groups used Saudi territory as a base and received support that contributed to sending thousands of suicide bombers and car bombs into Iraq. Saudi Arabia has consistently rejected such allegations. Amiri said the kingdom was now “repeating today this hostile approach toward Iraq and its people in a more explicit manner” in an attempt “to ignite a war that we have long sought to prevent.” He added: “We opened a new page with Saudi Arabia. Yet the Saudi regime has returned to these actions without any justification or clear evidence.”

The strikes hit PMF sites in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala. The PMF said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded. The United States and Saudi Arabia said they targeted weapons stores, logistics sites and militias in response to recent drone attacks, which Saudi Arabia said were launched from Iraqi territory by militias affiliated with Iran. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq denied responsibility and warned Riyadh against military action. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi convened an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security.

Amiri’s demand comes three weeks after Iraqi government agencies and companies signed 48 agreements and memorandums with U.S. companies during Zaidi’s visit to Washington, covering oil, electricity, industry, technology and finance. U.S. companies signed agreements and partnerships with the Iraqi government worth about $60 billion at a business gathering during the visit, according to The Associated Press.