Iraqi parliament passes resolution to end foreign troop presence

Iraq's parliament passed on Sunday a resolution telling the government to end the presence of foreign troops in Iraq and ensure they not use its land, airand waters for any reason.

"The government commits to revoke its request for assistance from the international coalition fighting Islamic State (ISIS) due to the end of military operations in Iraq and the achievement of victory," the resolution read.

"The Iraqi government must work to end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil and prohibit them from using its land, airspace or water for any reason."

Parliament resolutions, unlike laws, are non-binding to the government, but Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi had earlier called on parliament to end foreign troop presence.

The session comes two days after a U.S. drone strike on a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

"There is no need for the presence of American forces after defeating Daesh (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria)," said Ammar al-Shibli, a Shialegislatorand member of the parliamentary legal committee.

"We have our own armed forces which are capable of protecting the country," he said.

Despite decades of enmity between Iran and the United States, Iran-backed militia and U.S. troops fought side by side during Iraq's 2014-2017 war against ISISmilitants.

Around 5,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, most of them in an advisory capacity.

The militia were incorporated into government forces under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces which al-Muhandis led.

Many Iraqis, including opponents of Soleimani, have expressed anger at Washington for killing the two men on Iraqi soil and possibly dragging their country into another conflict.

Since the killings, rival Shiapolitical leaders have called for U.S. troops to be expelled from Iraq in an unusual show of unity among factions that have squabbled for months.

Hadi al-Amiri, the top candidate to succeed al-Muhandis, repeated his call for U.S. troops to leave Iraq on Saturday during an elaborate funeral procession for those killed in the attack.

Abdul Mahdi, who is now caretaker prime minister after resigning in November under pressure from street protests, on Friday called for parliament to convene an extraordinary session to take legislative steps to protect Iraq's sovereignty.