The latest attack near Baghdad on the Iran backed militia leader - Kataib Hezbollah faction - has drawn a reaction form the Iraqi government that is, to me, quite understandable.
The PM is very unhappy, and has spoken publicly about the Americans in Iraq (mostly dealing with ISIS, but also with Iran backed militias) may have worn out there welcome.
This may be mostly for public consumption, but the complaint voiced in the article ORAC posted that excerpt from strikes me as valid.
What are you foreigners doing blowing up a car in a Baghdad neighborhood?
The news snippet I saw last night indicated that the Iraqi government was not informed of the op.
(a) that may by for public consumption, but I suspect that it is true
(b) OPSEC is a thing, and for an op like that the fewer people "in" on it the better chances for success lest the target be spooked.
(Dealt with quite a few TST type scenarios like that a couple of decades back)
But how does it look, domestically, in Iraq, if the PM is being worked around by this ally who is ostensibly here at the Iraqi government's invitation?
Optics not good.
If the 2,000+ Americans in Iraq are invited to leave, what does that due in the Kurdish and border regions in the north central part of Iraq?
Nothing good for Iraq, plenty of opportunity for Iran.