Between the lines: A senior Iraqi government official told Axios’ Jonathan Swan that the actual expulsion of U.S. troops is far from a certain outcome. This is a resolution and the prime minister who must sign it has already resigned, the official said.
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- “This is a temporary victory for the parties which are pro-Iranian,” they added. “But it’s also a clear message from the Sunnis and from the Kurds [who didn’t vote] and from some Iraqi Shia for the Americans to tell them we want you to stay in Iraq.”
The big picture: The legal basis for the U.S. presence in Iraq is that it comes at Iraq’s invitation. This vote does not formally revoke that invitation, but it is a step along that path. A U.S. exit from Iraq could ultimately be one of the most consequential results of Soleimani’s killing, because it would significantly hamper the fight against ISIS and achieve a major Iranian objective. Continue reading.