TEHRAN — On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis gathered in Baghdad to commemorate the anti-terror heroes, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), who were martyred on January 3, 2020.

Hadi Al-Ameri, the head of the Fatah Alliance, Faleh Al-Fayyad, the head of the PMF, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, and Qais Khazali, head of the Asaeb Ahl-Al-Haq, participated in the gathering along with other prominent leaders of the Shia factions.

Sayyid Ammar Hakim, leader of the National Hikma Movement, was also present at the event. 

On the sidelines of the gathering, Khazali thanked the Iranian people, including the people of Kerman [the birthplace of martyr Soleimani], and warned the United States troops that if they do not leave Iraq, the resistance forces will “teach them a lesson”.

He added, “The name of martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis will remain immortal. Martyrs Soleimani and Muhandis were the founders of the Resistance, and thanks to them, we defeated Daesh.” 

According to Khazali, the PMF is the blessing of martyrs Soleimani and Muhandis. 

“We are a nation of men, not pseudo-men! The nation that was created with the blood of the commanders of the victory over Daesh will not bow down to the money of the Persian Gulf countries, because our nation is the nation of men,” he remarked in a valiant speech.

“The sons of the Resistance are ready to teach you more lessons, and they will force the American occupation forces to leave Iraq,” Khazali pointed out.

Addressing the U.S. forces in Iraq, he added, “You have to understand well that these people (Iraqis) cannot accept the occupation,” noting that “the lessons that the heroes of the Resistance in Iraq taught you are a message to expel them (foreign forces) from Iraq.” 

Fayyad, leader of the PMF resistance faction in Iraq, also gave a speech in the gathering, reaffirming his loyalty to the anti-terrorism commanders General Soleimani and al-Muhandis. He voiced concern over the presence of the American troops in Iraq.

“Today is the day of loyalty to the martyrs of victory. We make an allegiance with the commanders of the martyrs of victory over Daesh to continue the path of victory and martyrdom,” he asserted.

Fayyad added that the assassination of the commanders of the victory over Daesh was “a crime against the sovereignty of Iraq.”
He noted that demand for withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq is not a stance taken sentimentally, but is intended to protect Iraq and its sovereignty.
 
The PMF leader also asserted that a foreign presence will not be beneficial for the Iraqis, especially for peaceful coexistence.

For his part, the Fatah Alliance leader Hadi al-Ameri said that those who think that martyrs Soleimani and al-Muhandis will be forgotten in history are “delusional.”

He also said that the Iraqis will only accept a complete exit of the American forces and the achievement of full sovereignty of Iraq.

“The nation will remain resistant,” he added.

The date for the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq was scheduled for December 31. However, no troops will be evacuated. Only the occupation forces will be renamed. The same combat troops will be assigned an "advisory" role, with no soldiers being removed. This was confirmed by Pentagon officials to The New York Times, who stated that the departure will take place primarily on paper.