Iraq probes US flag desecration at Baghdad

Paramilitary vehicles drive over the U.S. flag during a procession in Baghdad. (AFP Photo)

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered an investigation into the desecration of the U.S. flag during military parades held in Baghdad to mark the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq.

Several people were arrested after al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, instructed a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident during Iraq’s
Sovereignty Day celebrations, military spokesman Sabah al-Numan said on Oct. 4.

Al-Zaidi condemned the desecration and called for Iraq’s diplomatic laws and international conventions to be respected, directing authorities to take legal action against those responsible, according to Al Numan.

The incident took place on Oct. 2 as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and Iran-backed militias held large-scale military parades in several parts of Baghdad to celebrate the withdrawal of coalition troops.

The PMF is an umbrella organization of predominantly Shiite paramilitary groups, many of which maintain close ties with Iran.
Video footage showed military vehicles belonging to the groups driving over U.S. and Israeli flags during a symbolic funeral procession held for people killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks in Iraq.

The groups also displayed flags belonging to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned group, alongside Iranian flags and images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former supreme leader who was killed on the first day of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

In a separate statement, al-Numan confirmed the arrest of people involved in the desecration of the U.S. flag in Baghdad, although he did not disclose how many people had been detained or identify their affiliations.

The footage triggered widespread debate on social media, with critics arguing that the incident could damage Iraq’s diplomatic standing and undermine its stated commitment to preventing its territory from being used to threaten neighboring countries.