Trump administration drafting sanctions against Iraq

Trump administration drafting sanctions against Iraq after parliament voted to expel American troops as tensions ratchet up in the Middle East

  • Senior White House officials are drafting sanctions against Iraq after the country threatened to push out U.S. troops
  • The Washington Post reported on the move, calling it preliminary and adding that no final decision has been made yet 
  • On Sunday, Iraq’s parliament affirmed in a non-binding vote that they wanted the U.S. to withdraw troops from the country 
  • Iraq’s vote came after the U.S. killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani on Thursday outside the Baghdad airport 
  • President Trump responded to the Iraqi vote by saying Sunday that he would sanction Iraq if they tried to kick out U.S. forces  

Senior White House officials are drafting sanctions against Iraq after the country threatened to push out U.S. troops. 

The Washington Post reported Monday night on the White House’s move, calling discussions of sanctions preliminary. No final decision has been made.  

The Treasury Department and the White House would probably take a lead role in implementing the sanctions, sources told The Post. 

President Trump threatened Iraq with sanctions on Sunday and on Monday night the Washington Post reported that senior officials were drafting them 

On Sunday, the Iraqi parliament voted in favor of a non-binding measure that would request the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country

On Sunday, the Iraqi parliament voted in favor of a non-binding measure that would request the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country 

Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi (left) is seen during Sunday's vote in the Iraqi parliament to expel U.S. troops from the country

Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi (left) is seen during Sunday’s vote in the Iraqi parliament to expel U.S. troops from the country 

One source said the plan was to wait ‘at least a little while’ to see if the Iraqi government followed up on the threat to push out U.S. forces from the country.

There’s been an American presence in the country since the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003. 

On Thursday, Iraq became the staging ground for the U.S.’s strike on Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. 

Soleimani had just left the Baghdad International Airport when his convoy was shot with missiles from American drones. 

On Sunday, responding to Soleimani’s killing outside the Baghdad airport, the Iraqi parliament voted to expel American troops from the country. 

The vote was non-binding. 

President Trump responded by threatening sanctions against Iraq. 

‘If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before, ever,’ Trump told reporters as he flew back to Washington, D.C. from West Palm Beach Sunday night. ‘It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.’ 

This leaked letter created confusion between Iraq and the United States Monday as it looked like the U.S. was ready to pull out troops

This leaked letter created confusion between Iraq and the United States Monday as it looked like the U.S. was ready to pull out troops 

‘If there’s any hostility, that they do anything we think is inappropriate,’ the president continued. ‘We are going to put sanctions on Iraq, very big sanctions on Iraq.’  

On Monday, there was confusion between the two countries as Iraq received a draft letter that suggested Americans troops were leaving the country. 

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters there were no plans for U.S. troops to leave.

‘There’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq, period,’ Esper said. ‘There are no plans to leave.’  

 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley explained that the letter was ‘a draft. It was a mistake. It was unsigned. It should not have been released.’ 

Milley admitted that the ‘poorly worded’ letter ‘implies withdrawal.’ 

‘That is not what’s happening,’ he added. 

Onboard Air Force One, Trump said American forces wouldn’t leave unless the country was paid back.

‘We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there. It cost billions of dollars to build. Long before my time,’ Trump said. ‘We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it.’  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk