Iranian State-Run Website: The U.S.'s Plans To Assassinate Resistance Leader In Iraq Are Part Of Scheme To Disarm Factions, Facilitate Terrorist Infiltration, Build U.S. Bases In Anbar

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On June 5, 2023, Sabereen News alleged that according to "exclusive sources," U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski informed Iraqi officials that at the top of the U.S.'s list is Akram Al-Ka'abi, who is secretary general of the Al-Nujaba' Movement.[1]

Since then, Telegram channels affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq have escalated their anti-U.S. rhetoric, sharing posts echoing the militias' readiness to target the U.S. interests in Iraq and the region. The threats further escalated when Iran-backed militia Ashab Al-Kahf released a statement warning that any attack against a jihadi leader will be countered by attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. [2]

"Assassinating Al-Ka'abi Is Part Of U.S. Scheme To Strip The Resistance Factions Of Their Weapons"

On June 7, the Iranian state-run Al-'Alam news website published a report doubling down on the claim that Romanowski has informed the Iraqi officials about an imminent U.S. attack on Al-Ka'abi.[3]

Titled "A Very Old Woman Threatens To Assassinate The Mujahideen Leaders," the report begins by depicting Romanowski as a CIA spy. "It is not surprising at all what the American ambassador, who has a long history of espionage and working within the ranks of the CIA, has said, particularly, in light of U.S. diplomatic practices and that of its occupying forces to Iraq," said the article.

Discussing why Washington would target someone like Al-Ka'abi, the report promoted him as the key leader of the resistance against the "U.S. occupation."

"Sheikh Al-Ka'abi has stated repeatedly among his peers, the leaders of the resistance factions opposed to the United States, is that the Popular Hashad [Popular Mobilization Units – PMU] has protected Iraq and its sacred sites, and without [the PMU], the map of Iraq, as well as that of the region would have looked different today. He [always] stressed that handing over the weapons of the resistance means handing over Iraq at a cheap price."

It claimed that Al-Kaabi's rejection of handing over the weapons of the resistance to Iraqi authorities is the reason why he is a target for the U.S., adding that the U.S. threat to assassinate him is part of a bigger scheme.

"U.S. Forces Are Building New Posts Near Borders With Syria"

Elaborating, the report claimed that the U.S. is focused these days on building three bases near the Iraq-Syria border and close to the Ain Al-Assad base, west of Anbar.

It further argued that these bases will be part of a U.S. scheme to facilitate the terrorist infiltration into Iraq, including transferring the Islamic State (ISIS) detainees from the Syria-based Al-Hol camp to Iraq.

"U.S. Wants To Facilitate The Terrorist Infiltration From Syria Into Iraq"

"This coincides with the endeavors of the American ambassador to provide protection and security for the families of the Iraqi militants from the Wahhabi takfiri[4] terrorist group 'Daesh' [i.e., ISIS] by transferring them from the notorious Al-Hol camp in Syria to another one being prepared inside Iraq. This means securing these families who are incubates of armed terrorism to serve a U.S. scheme aimed at inciting new conflicts inside Iraq."

To support its claim about transferring ISIS families from Syria to Iraq, the report claimed that Baghdad and Washington held discussions on the topic, noting, according to Turki Al-Atbi, an MP in the Iran-backed State of Law Coalition, that "America has rejected four international proposals to dismantle the camp."

Al-Atbi said that the American rejection of four international proposals to dismantle the Al-Hol camp was because the U.S. "wants to keep it the way it is in order to achieve geopolitical goals and create chaos and instability in the region," said the report.

The report cited Jabbar Odeh, an MP from Iran-backed the Coordination Framework bloc, warning against building new U.S. bases in areas close to terrorist infiltration routes.

"We look with concern at any new deployment of American forces because they do not want to keep the situation in Iraq stable, and the attempt to redeploy is a new scenario that may hide many details. No one trusts America and its forces, which will not hesitate to destabilize the security of any region to protect its interests."

"Biden Authorized Al-Ka'abi's Assassination"

Tura News Telegram channel shared on June 8 an article in which it argued that top officials in Washington had made the decision to assassinate Al-Ka'abi.[5]

"The U.S. Army has made the decision to target him, and Biden authorized it. Once they identify his location they will carry out [the attack] regardless of how many civilians will be killed with him."

Nevertheless, the article downplayed the U.S. capabilities to carry out the assassination, saying that Washington is currently engaged in several foreign conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and the tension with China, therefore "It cannot afford another conflict in Iraq; consequently, it is pressuring [Iraqi] politicians to contain the resistance factions and stop their military operations [against the U.S.]."

The article urged resistance factions to take advantage of the current escalation and end the U.S. presence in Iraq using "every possible means."