BREAKING: Iraqi Parliament Votes to Expel U.S. Troops from Country

January 5, 2020

The Iraq parliament has passed a resolution to expel U.S. troops from the country following the killing of general Soleimani on their Iraqi soil.

WATCH:

From Axios

The Iraqi parliament passed a resolution Sunday calling on the government to expel U.S. troops from the country in response to the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and the leader of an Iraqi militia on its soil.

Between the lines: A senior Iraqi government official told Axios’ Jonathan Swan that the actual expulsion of U.S. troops is far from a certain outcome. This is a resolution and the prime minister who must sign it has already resigned, the official said.

“This is a temporary victory for the parties which are pro-Iranian,” they added. “But it’s also a clear message from the Sunnis and from the Kurds [who didn’t vote] and from some Iraqi Shia for the Americans to tell them we want you to stay in Iraq.”

The big picture: The legal basis for the U.S. presence in Iraq is that it comes at Iraq’s invitation. This vote does not formally revoke that invitation, but it is a step along that path. A U.S. exit from Iraq could ultimately be one of the most consequential results of Soleimani’s killing, because it would significantly hamper the fight against ISIS and achieve a major Iranian objective.