As Iraq increasingly finds itself caught between the U.S. and Iran amid soaring tensions, the Iraqi prime minister's decision to remove a top military commander from his post has triggered heated political discussions and uncertainty.
FILE - In this June 27, 2016, file photo, Lt. General Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, commander for the Iraqi counterterrorism forces' operation to re-take Fallujah from Islamic State militants, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at a military camp outside Fallujah, Iraq. Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019 removed Lt. Gen.
The decision sparked speculation that some among Iraq’s Iran-backed politicians were uneasy with the commander’s growing popularity among Iraqis. The Arab state finds itself increasingly caught in the middle between the U.S. and Iran, as the two countries lead rival blocs vying for influence in a tumultuous region.
Al-Saadi told The Associated Press that Abdul-Mahdi informed him in a phone call that he had signed an order to move him to the Defense Ministry. Officials have not provided an explanation for the move. A few hundred Iraqis protested in a district of Baghdad Sunday, with one supporter saying he saw “foreign hands” behind the decision — a reference to Iran.
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