U.S. Pressures Baghdad Over Iran-Backed Militias
05.15.2019 at 06:27pm
U.S. Pressures Baghdad Over Iran-Backed Militias by Ahmed Rasheed and John Davison – Reuters
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s surprise visit to Baghdad this month came after U.S. intelligence showed Iran-backed Shi’ite militias positioning rockets near bases housing U.S. forces, according to two Iraqi security sources.
He told Iraq’s top brass to keep the militias, which are expanding their power in Iraq and now form part of its security apparatus, in check, the sources said. If not, the U.S. would respond with force.
As tensions between Washington and Tehran increase, Iraq finds itself caught between neighboring Iran, whose regional influence has grown in recent years, and the United States…
