Expert: US Lying about Death of 2 Forces in Iraq

“It is a fake piece of news and is aimed at forging the needed excuse to continue the US presence in Iraq,” Safa al-A’asam told the Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh news website on Tuesday.

He added that the US forces had also earlier fabricated such reports, including an alleged attack by Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi volunteer forces) on Washington’s embassy in Baghdad or Ein al-Assad base in Iraq.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed on Monday that 2 US service members were killed by “enemy forces” while advising and accompanying Iraqi Security Forces during a mission to “eliminate an ISIS terrorist stronghold” in a mountainous area of North Central Iraq on March 8.

It added that the names of the service members are withheld pending next of kin notification, in accordance with US Department of Defense policy.