Published 12:00 IST, January 1st 2020
Trump spoke with Iraqi PM, urged to protect US facilities: White House
White House said that US President Donald Trump has spoken with the Iraqi prime minister Abel Abdel Mahdi and stressed the need to protect American facilities.
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US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, spoke to the Iraqi Prime Minister Abel Abdel Mahdi stressing on the need to protect the US facilities in Iraq. The call came immediately after the pro-Iran protesters attacked the US embassy in Baghdad. The protesters barged in the reception area of the embassy and set it on fire.
'Death to America'
According to a statement by the White House, the two leaders discussed regional security issues and Trump emphasized the need to protect United States personnel and facilities in Iraq. On Tuesday, thousands of Iraqi Shiite militia supporters attacked US Embassy compound in Baghdad while protesting against airstrikes that killed 25 pro-Iran fighters. According to media reports, some of the protesters marched through the high-security checkpoints in military fatigues to which Iraqi forces didn’t react.
The mob broke into the Embassy compound shouting “Death to America” and one of them hanged a poster on the wall that read, “America is an aggressor”. US security forces stood at the roof pointing guns at the protestors while some marines fired tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the aggressive crowd.
The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site. Thank you to the President & Prime Minister of Iraq for their rapid response upon request....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
Trump also lashed out at Iran for orchestrating the attack on the American Embassy. Referring to the attack that killed an American contractor and injured many, he said that the US retaliated to it and always will. He also notified the Iraqi government to use its forces for providing security to the US Embassy.
....Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
12:00 IST, January 1st 2020