Unic Press UK: The United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, was attacked Tuesday by a massive number of protesters who were chanting “Death to America.”
The protesters entered the Green Zone in Baghdad, and demanded that the U.S. Embassy should close, and U.S. withdraw from the Republic. They blamed the U.S. government for the airstrike that killed about twenty-five people, including several members of a militia known as Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
The demonstrators aggrieved over the U.S. airstrikes on Iraq territory had gathered at the premises of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, throwing objects at the facility, and causing a lot of damage. This violence at the surroundings and threat to the U.S. personnel led to the evacuation of the Embassy staff.
In his initial reaction to the attack by protesters, President Donald Trump accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of being the mastermind. He tweeted: “Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!”
A few hours after his initial tweet on the situation, President Trump tweeted that the Embassy is safe: “The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site. Thank you to the President & Prime Minister of Iraq for their rapid response upon request. Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!”
Iran has denounced the allegations by the U.S. government. In a statement Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said the U.S. is “playing a flagrant and unsavory blame game”.
