{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"}],"id":40285,"title":"Protesters Withdraw From U.S. Embassy in Baghdad After Militia Orders","html_content":"

by Axios | 1.2.20

Protestors withdrew from the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, on Wednesday following orders from the Iranian-backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The militia leaders said they had won a victory that allowed their message to be heard, signaling they would now try to remove U.S. troops from Iraq by taking action in the country’s parliament.

All protesters withdrew from the area in front of the U.S. embassy and left the Green Zone. The embassy is now completely surrounded and secured by security forces.\" — Joint Operation Command statement, per NBC News\n

Details: The militia group's political spokesman of Kataib Hezbollah was seen addressing protestors at the embassy compound, saying, \"We will take our fight to expel U.S. troops from our land to parliament and if we don’t succeed, we will return.\"

The protestors signaled that they would move to an encampment on the other side of the Tigris River, outside of the fortified Green Zone where the embassy compound is located.

Context: The attempt to storm the embassy was prompted by U.S. airstrikes on five facilities in Iraq and Syria belonging to Kataib Hezbollah over the weekend.

The U.S. began deploying 750 troops to the region in response to the embassy breach.

Worth noting, via Axios' Jonathan Swan: Unlike most of his national security team, President Trump sees very little value in an American presence in Iraq — full stop.

Trump has long wanted out of Iraq and believes the American presence in Iraq is an unmitigated disaster that was the worst mistake in U.S. history.

Go deeper: Where U.S. troops and military assets are deployed in the Middle East

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from the Joint Operation Command and news that the protesters have left the area.

","image_urls":{"large":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/ff5638/1577887311959.jpg","medium":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/ff5638/1577887311959.jpg","small":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/ff5638/1577887311959.jpg","thumb":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/ff5638/1577887311959.jpg","xsmall":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/ff5638/1577887311959.jpg"},"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/articles/40285-protesters-withdraw-u-s-embassy-baghdad-militia-orders","article_comments":"https://www.causes.com/api/articles/40285-protesters-withdraw-u-s-embassy-baghdad-militia-orders/comments"},"comment_count":175,"action_count":1206,"cta_prompt":"How do you feel about U.S. operations in Iraq?","cta_type":"reactions","share_count":13,"published_at":"2020-01-02T05:28:33.101Z","is_countable_article":false,"allow_advocacy":true,"profile_id":55,"signed":false,"signatures_count":null,"signatures_goal":100,"signable_progress":0,"video_url":null,"video_dimensions":null,"video_aspect_ratio":null}],"users":[{"name":"Lola","vote_count":0,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/341558116696963/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/341558116696963/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/341558116696963/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/341558116696963/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/myLNnpq2/following","followers":"/api/users/myLNnpq2/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":60,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":3,"following_count":0,"position_count":8,"id":"myLNnpq2","partner_id":"76cb5378-ab81-4ce2-b8bc-bef98f1591c7"},{"name":"NoHedges","vote_count":929,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrvdyDm/large_8mrvdydm-1592097359.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrvdyDm/small_8mrvdydm-1592097359.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrvdyDm/tiny_8mrvdydm-1592097359.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/100000167747050/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8mrvdyDm/following","followers":"/api/users/8mrvdyDm/followers"},"about_me":"Unless someone like us cares a whole awful lot,\nNothing is going to get better. No, it is not!","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/keri-lamle","slug":"nohedges","issue_count":135,"is_following":null,"influence_score":8390,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":191,"following_count":482,"position_count":886,"id":"8mrvdyDm","partner_id":null},{"name":"jimK","vote_count":568,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/large_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/small_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/tiny_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/following","followers":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/followers"},"about_me":"Retired, Politically Independent. Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":48210,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1631,"following_count":88,"position_count":565,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1150667,"body":"WE NEED TO GTFO OF IRAQ AND STOP 'PICANDO' THOSE COUNTRIES THAT DO NOT WANT THE US THERE...WHAT EXACTLY HAS THE US ACCOMPLISHED OTHER THAN BOMBINGS, KILLINGS AND TEARING UP OTHER COUNTRIES...OH, I FORGOT, 'WAR IS PROFITABLE'.....","parent_type":"Article","parent_id":40285,"created_at":"2020-01-02T15:31:55.479Z","liked":false,"like_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/comments/1150667","likers":"https://www.causes.com/api/v1/likers?likeable_id=1150667&likeable_type=Comment"},"article_id":40285,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/comments/1150667.png","note":{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"},"note_text":"Oppose","note_color":"#ef3e42","user_id":"myLNnpq2","liker_ids":["8mrvdyDm","9odrQBnb"]}}

Like Causes?

Comment Liked by 2 Users