Shafaq News / A close associate of the President of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, revealed that the number of US forces in Iraq has increased, contrary to what was announced regarding their withdrawal.
Kata'a al-Rikabi, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, told Shafaq News agency, “The Iraqi government has announced the withdrawal of a number of American soldiers from Iraq, but we have information that confirm the increase in these forces numbers. Two days ago, more than 50 loaded American vehicles entered Iraq with soldiers and equipment through the Syrian border. "
Al-Rikabi added, "The Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee met today, Sunday, to discuss this file, and during the meeting several security and military leaders in the Ministry of Interior, Defense and National Security, as well as intelligence, were hosted to know the truth behind the issue."
It is worth noting that the Iraqi Minister of foreign affairs, Fouad Hussein, announced on November 18 that Baghdad and Washington had reached an agreement to withdraw 500 US forces from the country.
The leader of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Qais Khazali, announced on Thursday the end of the truce with the US in Iraq, stressing that confronting the foreign presence in Iraq is legitimate by all means.
Al-Khazali said in a televised interview, " the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, had no role in the issue of the truce between the resistance factions and the American side at all. The person who interfered was Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Al-Fatah coalition."
He added, "the truce with the US has ended since its conditions have not been fulfilled. We have the right to confront foreign forces, especially since confronting the foreign presence and rejecting it is legitimate by all available means."
Al-Khazali's statements came a day after missile attacks targeted the Green Zone, which includes the US embassy in Iraq.
This is the first attack of its kind in five weeks. The attacks had stopped after a group calling itself the "Iraqi Resistance" announced on the tenth of last month, suspending its operations against foreign forces, especially American forces in Iraq, to allow them to withdraw from the country.
The "Iraqi resistance" is an unknown party, and it is believed that it includes pro-Iranian armed Shiite factions, including the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Harakat al-Nujaba.
For months, the Green Zone (which includes government headquarters, embassies and diplomatic missions) in Baghdad, along with military bases hosting the international coalition forces, and convoys transporting logistical equipment, have been subjected to rocket and IED attacks by unknown parties.
Washington accuses the Pro-Iranian Iraqi factions of being behind the attacks.
