US Calls for Dialogue in Iraq, Denies Reports It Evacuated Baghdad Embassy

By Joseph Haboush
Global Research, August 30, 2022
Al Arabiya English 29 August 2022

Url of this article:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-calls-dialogue-iraq-denies-reports-evacuated-baghdad-embassy/5791779

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The White House denied reports that it had evacuated the US Embassy in Baghdad on Monday and called for calm as violence threatened to further destabilize an already tense situation in Iraq.

Riots and protests rocked the Iraqi capital after Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said he was stepping away from politics, leading to clashes between his supporters and those of Iran-backed groups.

Videos quickly spread across social media showing diplomats being driven away from the Green Zone.

But Washington denied it had whisked away any of its staff or diplomats.

“Reports of an Embassy evacuation are false. Ensuring the safety of US government personnel, US citizens, and the security of our facilities remains our highest priority,” a White House official said in a statement.

Asked about the violence, the official called the events “disturbing” and warned that Monday’s developments could lead to further violence. “Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty should not be put at risk.”

The official repeated previous comments by US officials and the international community.

“Now is the time for dialogue, not escalated confrontation,” the official said. “We join the call by parties across the Iraqi political spectrum to remain calm, abstain from violence, and resolve their political differences through a peaceful process guided by the Iraqi constitution.”

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Featured image: The new Embassy of the United States in Baghdad, Iraq. (Licensed under the Public Domain)

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