President Donald Trump’s pledge to use a US base in Iraq to “watch” Iran has triggered a furious reaction from Baghdad.
Why it matters: Amid bipartisan push-back against his decision to pull US troops out of Syria, the president told CBS in an interview that ran Sunday that Al-Asad base in Anbar province, which the president visited just after Christmas, could deal with the Iranian threat. The comments sparked outrage from Iraqi President Barham Salih, who insisted today the US never asked permission for a wider mission beyond fighting the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS.)
