Mr. Pompeo fired back that the United States would do no such thing, despite the military’s frequent refrain that it is a guest of the Iraqi government and will comply with its host’s demands. “We are happy to continue the conversation with the Iraqis about what the right structure is,” he said at a news conference on Friday. The recent American airstrikes killed Iranian proxy fighters who were also members of the Iraqi security forces — and considered heroes by many Iraqis for their role in helping fight the Islamic State. “We are in a state of enthusiasm in Iraq,” Mr. al-Hunain said. “The process of the U.S. withdrawal reclaims a part of Iraq’s dignity after the airstrikes and violations of Iraqi sovereignty.”

Source: International New York Times January 10, 2020 22:46 UTC