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Iraqi Protesters Condemn US Airstrikes

Jeff Seldin

   Security forces at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad fired tear gas Tuesday
   in response to protesters who breached the outer edge of the compound
   as they rallied in condemnation of U.S. airstrikes targeting an
   Iranian-backed militia in Iraq and Syria.

   Some of the thousands of protesters set small fires, threw stones and
   waved flags in support of militia groups.

   The Sunday strikes have sparked anger and criticism by top Iraqi
   officials, but the United States is defending its actions and warning
   it could strike again.

   "We are not going to let Iran get away with using a proxy force to
   attack American interests," a senior State Department official told
   reporters Monday, describing the strikes as defensive in nature.

   "It has been a feature of Iran's expansionist foreign policy to conduct
   deniable attacks," the official added. "We are not giving Iran the
   fiction of deniability any longer."

   The U.S. airstrikes targeting Kataeb Hezbollah weapons storage
   facilities and command and control locations across Iraq and eastern
   Syria killed at least 25 people and injured dozens more.

   U.S. officials said the strikes were in response to a rocket attack on
   an Iraqi military base on Friday that killed a U.S. defense contractor.
   Officials said the evidence left no doubt Kataeb Hezbollah was
   responsible.

   On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned the strikes,
   warning in a statement that the U.S. actions were unacceptable and
   "will have dangerous consequences."

   A statement from the Iraqi government further chastised the United
   States, describing the strikes as a "flagrant violation" of Iraq's
   sovereignty, as well as of the rules governing the "goals and
   principles" of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq to fight and defeat the
   Islamic State terror group.

   U.S. officials brushed aside such criticism and instead placed blame on
   Iraq for allowing Iranian proxies to operate at will inside their
   country despite 11 such attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in the
   past two months.

   "We have warned the Iraqi government many times, and we've shared
   information with them to try to work with them to try to carry out
   their responsibility to protect us as their invited guests," a second
   senior U.S. official said. "They have not taken the appropriate steps."

   The U.S. official also criticized Iraqi officials for failing to come
   down harder on Kataeb Hezbollah's activities, whether they involve
   sending militia forces into Syria to fight on behalf of Syrian
   President Bashar al-Assad or targeting Iraqi protesters.

   "It's moments like this when you see people's true colors," he said.

   Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spent Monday discussing the strikes with
   allies, including phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
   Netanyahu, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown
   Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pompeo reiterated the U.S. position that it
   stands ready to defend its interests and counter Iranian actions.

   Saudi state media reported an official source condemning the Friday
   attack that killed the U.S. defense contractor.

   Both Iraq and the United States are bracing for additional violence.

   "Our battle with America and its mercenaries is now open to all
   possibilities," the Kataeb Hezbollah militia said in a statement late
   Sunday.

   Kataeb Hezbollah, part of the state-sanctioned militias operating in
   Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), has denied
   responsibility for the Friday attack that killed the U.S. contractor.
   But it warned a response would be forthcoming.

   "We have no alternative today other than confrontation, and there is
   nothing that will prevent us from responding to this crime," the
   statement said.

   Iran's foreign minister Monday also condemned the airstrikes, calling
   them an "obvious case of terrorism."

   Since May, the United States has sent an additional 14,000 forces to
   the Middle East, along with air and missile defense systems and
   additional reconnaissance capabilities, in response to what officials
   see as a growing threat from Iran and its proxies.

   Officials said Monday that despite the buildup, the increased threat
   has yet to diminish.

   "We do see threat streams and threatening activities by all these
   (Iranian-backed) forces that are of concern to us from a force
   protection standpoint," a senior State Department official said.
   "(Sunday's action) shows we can respond not just in Iraq, but we can
   respond anywhere that we think it makes sense to us and to the interest
   and security of our partners and allies."

   U.S. officials also warned they planned to hit Iran with additional
   economic sanctions in the coming year, saying, "Iran's economic
   problems and challenges are going to compound in 2020," an official
   said.