TEHRAN- The assassination by the American occupation in Iraq of a senior commander with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) has been met with a sharp rise in demand for the U.S. military presence to end.

A U.S. drone strike blew up a car on Wednesday night in Baghdad assassinating Abu Baqr al-Sa'adi, a senior commander with the PMF's Kata’ib Hezbollah along with two of his comrades. 

The late PMF commander helped liberate Iraq from Daesh occupation in 2017 and the U.S. occupation in 2011. 

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has said that the "American occupation" will not end through dialogue or more negotiations (as the Iraqi government is seeking), emphasizing that the U.S. military "only understands the language of arms."

The Iraqi resistance stated that "recent events have revealed to the nation, allies, and responsible authorities that the occupying enemy does not depart (from Iraq) out of exhaustion or treachery." 

In a statement on Friday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq vowed to resume its operations against the U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, underlining that the Americans are "violating all the rules of engagement." 

The Iraqi resistance said "this became evident in its recent targeting of the PMF in al-Qaim, Akashat, and other locations. The assassination of the great commander Abu Baqr al-Sa'adi in Baghdad further violates all rules of engagement, reinforcing the Islamic resistance's commitment to its responsibilities towards its people, country, and nation under any circumstances."

Reports say in the aftermath of the statement, attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria intensified. In one operation by the Iraqi resistance, six drones were used to target the Conoco oil field, occupied by American troops in Syria near the Iraqi border. 

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has also called on all "brothers" fighting the U.S. military presence on Iraqi soil to "join the ranks of the resistance", noting that "they should prepare themselves for active participation in expelling the occupation," in what the statement termed as a "historical phase for Iraq and the region".

Since the Israeli war on Gaza erupted on 7 October, there have been more than 200 operations by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against the U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, which the Iraqi resistance says is in response to the "U.S. occupation" as well as in solidarity with "the children, women and elderly in Gaza." 

The assassination of a commander with the PMF, whose armed factions have been integrated by the Iraqi parliament into the National Armed Forces, also drew strong condemnation from Iraqi government officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani. 

In a sign of how serious the Iraqi government is viewing this latest act of terror by the U.S. occupation, National Security Adviser Qassem al-Araji attended the funeral ceremony for al-Sa'adi, whilst parliament held a short mourning ceremony for his death, in an emergency session to discuss the "U.S. occupation." 

The government has said the U.S. presence in Iraq must now come to an end after a number of deadly aggressive acts against Iraqi sovereignty that violate the agreement between Baghdad and Washington on the role of the U.S. forces in the fight against the resurgence of Daesh. 

The U.S. returned to Iraq in 2014 under the pretext of fighting Daesh. Washington has maintained its military presence despite the defeat of Daesh. 

Over the past month, the Iraqi government said it was engaged in negotiations with the Americans to end the U.S. presence in Iraq. The attack by the Iraqi resistance on Tower 22 in Jordan that led to the death of three American soldiers in late January temporarily ended the talks. 

Nevertheless, during the negotiations, Kata’ib Hezbollah announced it was halting attacks on U.S. bases so as not to "embarrass the government" in its talks with the Americans, but the White House went ahead with the assassination of one of its senior commanders anyway.
On Sunday, the Iraqi military spokesman and advisor to the Prime Minister, Yahya Rasool, said Iraq and the United States resumed negotiations on the future of the U.S. military. 

The negotiations between Baghdad and Washington had also coincided with indirect talks between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli regime on a possible new ceasefire agreement. 

As an agreement looked likely to be reached, attacks on U.S. bases slightly decreased. 

During the seven-day Gaza ceasefire in late November last year, there were no attacks on the U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. 

The Iraqi resistance appears to view the U.S. occupation of Iraq in a similar nature to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, describing both as enemies while reaffirming "its commitment to striking the strongholds of the enemies."

On Friday, the Iraqi resistance announced an operation that targeted a "vital site of the Zionist entity on the shores of the Dead Sea", which it said was "in support of our people in Gaza and in response to the massacres committed by the occupying entity against Palestinian civilians." 

Two other factors appear vital to this equation. 

One is U.S. complicity in the Israeli war on Gaza that has turned American bases in Iraq and Syria into ideal targets. Second is the long-term national Iraqi project to seek independence and sovereignty from any foreign forces, especially the American military occupation. 

Now that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the latest ceasefire talks, ordering his military to expand operations to Rafah in the Gaza Strip, along with the U.S. assassination of a senior PMF commander, the Iraqi resistance has vowed to end the American occupation on its own terms.

Culled from Tehran Times