Video: Iraqi forces were asked to withdraw from Saudi, Syria borders

Al Arabiya’s sister News Channel Al Hadath showed on Wednesday an exclusive recorded video of an officer who said he was asked alongside with other border guards to withdraw from the country’s borders with Saudi Arabia and Syria by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s administration.

In the interview, the officer expressed his confusion over why border guard cohorts were asked to leave despite there was no evident danger.

“We didn’t know why,” he said, adding that another officer didn’t want to leave but he had to follow the military orders.

Without identifying exactly who, the officer said “they” burned cars and destroyed warehouses after the border guards’ retreated from their positions.