Iraq appears to be moving quickly to prevent a crisis with the US and clamp down on those who desecrated American flags during a Sovereignty Day parade in Baghdad on Friday. The Iraqis were celebrating the withdrawal of US forces last Wednesday.
What was supposed to be an uplifting event focused on Iraq has become controversial after pro-Iranian elements drove over the flags. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina) and others condemned the spectacle.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi moved quickly to keep the crisis from getting out of hand. He has had support from US President Donald Trump and has worked to cultivate close ties with the Trump administration.
Within a day of the photos of the flag desecration appearing online, Sabah Al-Nu’man, a spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, said: “In implementation of the orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ali Falah Al-Zaidi, the competent authorities have arrested those involved in the violation against the American flag in Baghdad, which accompanied one of the parades during the Sovereignty Day events, as well as stressing accountability for anyone demonstrated to be involved in this act, and taking legal measures against them, in accordance with Iraqi laws and diplomatic norms.”
“The government affirms that respect for the symbols of states and friendly diplomatic missions accredited in Iraq constitutes a legal and diplomatic obligation, and that any violation or offense in this regard will be subject to legal accountability,” he said.
On Sunday, the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said Zaidi had given orders to arrest the perpetrators.
It was not clear how and when they would be charged. It could be that Iraq will claim it has arrested the suspects and then release them. In the past, Iraq has appeared to arrest members of Iranian-backed militias and then release them within days.
Cracking down on pro-Iran militias
Nevertheless, Iraq is messaging that it is trying to crack down on anti-American displays among the Iranian-backed militias. This follows several statements in which the militias said they want Baghdad to meet certain “conditions” before they disarm.
Zaidi wants the militias disarmed by next June. In the wake of the desecration of the flags and the related arrests in Baghdad, one of the militias indicated it would continue to trample the American flag.
Akram al-Kaabi, secretary-general of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HHN), posted a video of himself walking on the flag, as part of a dramatic and theatrical display. HHN is one of the Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias that is sanctioned by the US and has not disarmed.