News - Middle East: The head of the Iraqi resistance group Harakat Hezbollah Nujaba says there is no friendship between Baghdad and Washington, and the American occupation forces cannot stay in the Arab country under any pretext.

Akram al-Kaabi, the founder and secretary-general of the movement, made the remarks in a meeting on Sunday with the resistance group’s injured veteran soldiers in the fight against US occupation forces and Takfiri terrorists.

“The path of crusade continues and the fronts are active as the enemy is still present. As long as the US and Israeli Zionism are fighting against God, religion and humanity, the believers in sanctities and authentic values should stand up to them,” Kaabi told the meeting.

“There is no friendship with America,” he said. “The US is an enemy and will remain an enemy. We do not accept the staying of American forces, including advisers, technicians and combat forces. The resistance has no other position and will never change it.”

While the US claims it has ended its combat mission in Iraq, some 2,500 US troops still remain inside the Arab country in what Washington calls an “advisory” mission.

Pressured by the Iraqi people, US President Joe Biden and Iraq’s then-Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi declared in July 2021 that the US mission in Iraq would transition from combat to an “advisory” role by the end of that year.