US stresses respect for Iraqi sovereignty while committing to hold Iran-backed forces accountable
Kirby said if there were no attacks on US troops, there would be no need for retaliatory strikes.
New York - The Pentagon named the Kata'ib Hezbollah commander killed in the United States strike in Iraq on Wednesday as Wissam Mohammed Abu Baqir al-Saadi, a high-ranking member responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on US forces in the region.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder wouldn't specify if al-Saadi had involvement in the drone strike that killed three American service members in Jordan.
"We're very confident in the process that we took in order to identify and again hold this individual accountable," Ryder said.
The Pentagon has "high confidence" that al-Saadi was the only person killed in the attack.
On Thursday, officials across the Biden administration maintained the strike that killed al-Saadi did not undermine Iraqi sovereignty. According to the Pentagon, the US did not notify Iraq before the strike.
US "fully respects" Iraq's sovereignty
White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said the US "fully respects" Iraq's sovereignty
"We believe we have a good relationship with the Iraqi government, and our troops are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government to continue to advise and assist their military and their security forces as they continue to battle against the still viable ISIS threat," Kirby said.
But Kirby said if there were no attacks on US troops, there would be no need for retaliatory strikes.
"We take our relationship with Iraq seriously and we value them as a partner. We do respect their sovereignty," Ryder also said. "But again, when our forces are attacked or threatened, it's incumbent on us to take necessary action to protect those forces."
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