AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): As the ultimatum to the US occupation forces to withdraw from Iraq draws to an end with the end of the year, on November 25 the joint Iranian-Iraqi judicial committee on the assassination of the Iran's Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani and Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces' Deputy Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the US held a meeting in Baghdad. The two-day meeting concluded with a five-point statement:
First, taking all legal and judicial measures possible to prosecute those involved in the assassination and their enablers, especially the American ones
Second, maintaining the bilateral cooperation to complete the underway probe
Third, using all the available capacities to complete the necessary information according to the judicial agreement on criminal issues between the two sides
Fourth, continuing the work of the Joint Investigation Committee in the two countries to ensure the completion, as soon as possible, of the information required in the judicial investigation
Fifth, holding next round of the meeting in Tehran within a month
The agreement is coming as according to a Baghdad-Washington deal, the American occupation forces are only one month away from withdrawal deadline.
Why was this meeting held at this certain time?
Central Iraqi government not serious about US expulsion
The meeting of the joint judicial committee to follow the case of assassination of the two anti-terror commanders just one month before end of the ultimatum to the US indicates in the first place relays the fact that the Iraqi government has not taken serious action for implementation of the expulsion which is also a parliament-approved law. Nearly two years after the terrorist act of Washington under Donald Trump, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has not taken any serious and effective action, and this has increased the speculations about him even obstructing the expulsion law as a liberal and pro-American politician. The PM, going against the will of the Iraqi people who want their country free from occupation forces and foreign intervention, has so far procrastinated and delayed arrangements for the US exit. The judicial meeting at this time raises criticism against al-Kadhimi and his government.
Reminding that expulsion of destabilizing forces inevitable
As mentioned above, the meeting of the judicial committee is coming while a month is left to the US exit ultimatum. Looking at the composition of the representatives from both countries, we can assert that it is unavoidable to expel the forces that assassinated General Soleimani and his fellow commander al-Muhandis who were killed in a drone strike ordered directly by Trump in January 2020 at Baghdad International Airport. On the Iraq side were Judge Muslem Mutaib Madib, the head of Judicial Inspection Authority of the High Judicial Council, Judge Razaq Kadhim Rasan, a judicial observer, Judge Khaled Rakhis, attorney general, and Rahim Abdel Hassan, the general director of the judicial guard. From Iraq, Mir Mustafa Sayed Ashrafi, deputy prosecutor-general, and head of International Affairs Office for Tehran Revolutionary Court took part.
The presence of high-ranking judicial figures from both Iran and Iraq and the holding of the third round of the meeting in Tehran next month assert the seriousness in implementing the expulsion of the perpetrators involved the assassination. Now more than ever, the Iraqi public opinion and will are demanding the punishment of the perpetrators, and holding judicial meeting on this terrorist crime is a reminder that the culprits behind insecurity and terrorism in Iraq, namely the American occupiers, have no choice but to leave. The Iraqi government must take serious actions to implement their withdrawal law by the end of the year.
Symbolic messages to home traitors and Americans
There was a symbolic message behind the meeting, for the Americans and their mercenaries in Iraq. According to first point of the statement, all prosecution measures will be taken against main factors and their enablers, especially the Americans, behind the assassination. Actually, it suggests that as alarms of the US expulsion begin to ring, so do the alarms of bringing to justice the criminals behind the cowardly assassination. Although these people have so far had protecting cover thanks to occupation forces, in the new conditions, their masters can neither intervene nor protect them. In such a proper milieu, the Iraqi justice system would seriously prosecute and bring to justice the perpetrators.
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