Iraqi parliament votes to remove foreign troops, drawing sanctions threat from US president
The Middle East is grappling with the United States’ assassination of Qassem Soleimani.
In an extraordinary session on Sunday, Iraq’s parliament voted to remove foreign troops.
U.S. president President threatened what he calls ‘very big sanctions’ on Iraq if American troops are forced to leave.
The military alliance NATO has suspended its training mission in Iraq, fearing soldiers could be attacked in reprisal for the killing of Iran’s top military commander.
What are the consequences for Iraq and the Middle East if all foreign soldiers leave?
Presenter: Folly Bah Thibaut
Guests:
Richard Weitz – Security Analyst with Wikistrat, a global risk consultancy
Jean-Marc Rickli – Head of Global Risk, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Zeidon Alkinani – Independent researcher on identity politics in Iraq and the Middle East
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia. The capital and largest city is Baghdad. Iraq is home to diverse ethnic groups including Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, Yazidis, Shabakis, Armenians, Mandaeans, Circassians, Sabians and Kawliya. Around 99% of the country’s 38 million citizens are Muslims, with small minorities of Christians, Yarsans, Yezidis and Mandeans also present. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish.
Iraq has a coastline measuring 58 km (36 miles) on the northern Persian Gulf and encompasses the Mesopotamian Alluvial Plain, the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert. Two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run south through Iraq and into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, historically known as Mesopotamia, is often referred to as the cradle of civilisation.
Iraq is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 19 governorates, four of which make up the autonomous Kurdistan Region. Disputes over the sovereignty of Kurdistan Region continue.
Iraq is a founding member of the UN as well as of the Arab League, OIC, Non-Aligned Movement and the IMF.
