Not what they're there for?

In the Independent, Patrick Cockburn reports Iraqi criticism of the US attack on Syria:

"The Iraqi government rejects US aircraft bombarding posts inside Syria," said an Iraqi government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, in a surprise rebuke to Washington. "The constitution does not allow Iraq to be used as a staging ground to attack neighbouring countries."

Anyone would think that the US contrived to invade Iraq to give it a military base in the Middle East...