Iraq Issues Warrant for Trump’s Arrest

The Iraqi supreme court issued an arrest warrant for former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, according to OilPrice.

The warrant is a reaction to the killing of Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s Quds Force commander, and the chief of staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq, both of whom were assassinated in a drone strike on Iraqi soil near the Baghdad airport in January 2020.

This act of “premeditated murder” was carried out by Trump and resulted in Iranian strikes on the Ain Al-Assad U.S. base in Iraq, the largest in the country.

If convicted, Trump could face the death penalty, although OilPrice notes the warrant is “clearly symbolic.”

The Supreme Judicial Council’s head, Faiq Zaidban, called on Baghdad to hold Trump accountable for this “heinous crime” and stated that the investigation into the killings is ongoing.

In November, it was confirmed by Iraq’s parliamentary speaker that hundreds, possibly thousands, of people were kidnapped and killed by Iran-backed militias from 2014 to 2016.

Iraq, the second-largest oil producer in OPEC, is caught between the United States and Iran, with the latter’s influence having significantly grown since the toppling of Saddam Hussein following the 2003 U.S. invasion.

In October, after a long 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 protesting against Iran and paralyzing the government.

The PMF leader assassinated in the Trump-ordered military operation was the head of an umbrella group that brought together pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, which were supported by the government as a loosely defined part of the Iraqi armed forces.

From Iraqi News:

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 U.S. army carried out a military operation in which Soleimani was assassinated near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.

The operation, in which Al-Muhandis was also assassinated, led to an escalation of tension between the United States and Iran, which vowed strong revenge.

The Iranian army, a few days following the operation, responded by firing missiles at Ain Al-Assad base, the largest U.S. base in Iraq.

The U.S. forces in Iraq were also subjected to a series of attacks by pro-Iranian Iraqi groups last year.
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