Shiite faction condemns Iraq-US military relations amidst Telegram blockage
Shafaq News/ Al-Nujaba Movement, a prominent Iraqi Shiite faction, has raised concerns over the recent decision by the Iraqi Ministry of Communications to block the Telegram application and the concurrent visit of an Iraqi military delegation to the US Department of Defense.
The faction has issued a solid warning to what it labels "conspirators," asserting its awareness of behind-the-scenes developments.
Ali Al-Asadi, the al-Nujaba Movement's political council head, expressed his reservations. Al-Asadi said in a message on X that the invitation extended to Iraqi military leaders for a visit to the Pentagon, led by Defense Minister Thabet Muhammad Al-Abbasi and sponsored by High Commissioner "Aunt Alina L. Romanowski," coinciding with the Telegram blockage, raises suspicions.
He cautioned that these actions could be "construed as a new form of subjugation aimed at perpetuating foreign control and continuing the occupation," citing what he perceived as a pattern of assertive and systematic American behavior that undermines Iraq's sovereignty.
Al-Asadi stated that the Movement perceives the Iraqi Ministry of Defense statement as endorsing "hegemony."
He questioned the actual gains Iraq has achieved from collaborative efforts, including training and consultation, asserting that such engagements frequently infringe upon the nation's sovereignty.
Al-Asadi called Iraqi leaders to adopt a clear stance against forces that "violate" the land and airspace of Iraq, pointing to the assassination of leaders and what he referred to as the "shameful strategic agreement."
Recently, a senior delegation led by Defense Minister Thabet Muhammad Al-Abbasi embarked on an official visit to the United States, responding to an invitation from the Pentagon. The delegation included prominent figures such as Lieutenant General Abdul-Wahhab Al-Saadi, head of the Counter-Terrorism Service, and Lieutenant General Abdul-Amir Rashid Yarallah, Chief of Staff of the Army.
