Only Iran Stood beside Iraqi Nation in Fight against Daesh: Politician

Hadi al-Ameri, the head of Fatah (Conquest) Alliance at the Iraqi parliament, made his remarks during a ceremony on the occasion of the first anniversary of the assassination of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandis in the holy city of Najaf on Saturday.

Ameri stressed that in the difficult situation in Iraq, it was only the Islamic Republic of Iran and the great Iranian commander General Soleimani who stood with Iraq against Daesh.

"We thank Martyr Soleimani for his role in supporting the Iraqi nation in difficulties and hardships," he said.

Referring to a June 2014 fatwa issued by Iraq's most prominent Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who called on all Iraqi citizens to take arms and defend their homeland against Daesh, Ameri said, “The Daesh sedition had international backing, but the fatwa (religious decree) issued by the Iraqi religious authority thwarted and defeated it.”

Ameri also stressed that Iraq’s stability only relies on the withdrawal of foreign forces.

"Our first demand is the pullout of American troops and the handover of Iraq’s affairs to the Iraqis, because they are able to provide security and build their country by themselves."

Two days after Washington’s assassination of General Soleimani and Muhandis, Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country.

Amiei emphasized that the parliamentary resolution as well as the million-strong rallies, which were held in commemoration of the anti-terror commanders across Iraq, served as a referendum underlining the need for foreign forces’ withdrawal.