US-Iraqi talks to keep US troops in Iraq after a boost

US-Iraqi talks to keep US troops in Iraq after a boost

BAGHDAD, May 5 (Xinhua) - Several meetings between representatives of the Donald Trump administration and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi are being held to discuss the possibility of US troops remaining in Iraq even after the war against the " Calling. "
"There is a consensus between the two governments on the need for a long-term presence of US forces in Iraq to ensure the country's security," the Associated Press quoted unnamed sources as saying.
According to US media, Defense Secretary James Matisse took part in the talks.
The aim of the talks is to keep the troops inside Iraq's existing bases, at least five locations in the northern region of Mosul and along the Iraqi border with Syria, ABC News reported.
At present, there are about 7,000 US troops in Iraq.
The news comes as Iraqi forces continue their war on militants in the western region of Mosul, the last area controlled by al-Qaeda three years after its fighters invaded Iraq. Finished

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Talks between Washington and Baghdad to keep US troops in Iraq

The security scene   Friday 05 May 2017


Official sources in Washington and Baghdad said that "several meetings were held between the representatives of US President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi administration, to discuss the possibility of US troops to stay in Iraq even after defeating Daesh.

The news agency "Associated Press" the US from these sources, which it did not name, as saying that "the talks on this matter are still continuing, although there is a consensus between the two governments on the need for the presence of US forces in Iraq in the long term to ensure the country's security.

According to those sources, he has participated in these talks, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

For his part, said the American site, "ABC News," that the goal of the talks is the survival of US forces within the current Iraqi bases, in five locations at least the area of ​​Mosul (in northern Iraq) and along the Iraqi border with Syria.

It is noted that there is at the present time, nearly seven thousand US military in Iraq for training purposes and to provide advice and participation in the international coalition's efforts against Daesh.

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Washington and Baghdad are discussing the US to keep troops in Iraq


05/05/2017


Official sources in Washington and Baghdad, said that several meetings were held between the representatives of the Trump administration and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, to discuss the possibility of keeping US troops in Iraq even after defeating the "Daesh" .
The news agency "Associated Press" the US from these sources, which it did not name, as saying that "the talks on this matter are still continuing, although there is a consensus between the two governments on the need for the presence of US forces in Iraq in the long term to ensure the country's security" .
According to US media, it has participated in these talks, Defense Minister James Mattis.
According to the US site, "ABC News", that "the goal of the talks US troops to stay within the current Iraqi bases, in five locations at least the area of ​​Mosul (in northern Iraq) and along the Iraqi border with Syria
ar

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High-level contacts between Baghdad and Washington over the US military situation in Iraq



04/05/2017


Media sources said that there is a high-level contacts between Baghdad and Washington over the US military situation in Iraq after Daesh.

The sources added that " the parties to negotiate the US asked for the survival of a number of American advisers in the liberated areas and Baghdad , " indicating that " the parties to negotiate the US did not provide an answer to Baghdad on the number of US troops that will remain in Iraq."

The sources said that "Baghdad informed the parties to negotiate the US they prefer to focus now on the battle to liberate Mosul."

The MP Kazem Sayadi said the "direction" that "Iraqi political forces of foreign countries concluded a big deal to re-control of US forces to occupy all the main roads of Iraq."

It is said that the reports of the Pentagon said that the total number of US military personnel in Iraq, of 4935 people, experts and military advisers.


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Sayadi: Abadi put the prime minister in order to restore US forces to occupy Iraq


04/05/2017

Press direction / special
The MP said the reform Front parliamentary Kazem Sayadi, today, those who came to Balebadi prime minister to re-American forces once again to occupy Iraq.
Sayadi In an interview for "direction," he added that "Iraqi political forces and the foreign has concluded a big deal to re-control of US forces to occupy all the main roads of Iraq," adding that "the bomb that exploded yesterday on a convoy of US forces killed one of the occupiers soldiers have exposed the lie government."
He explained that "the return of US troops to the occupation of Iraq aims to divide it into small states," noting that "the division of Iraq, an ongoing project under the auspices of the Iraqi government, which claims to be deduced from it, and with the support of US troops and foreign countries."
He called on "the Iraqi people to do change the corrupt political class that Shi did not provide the citizen, noting that the political blocs have brought parliament to a standstill and not the advancement of the regulatory and legislative level.


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Abadi Office issued a clarification on the agreement with the United States to keep its troops in Iraq


Abadi, the Office shall issue a clarification on the agreement with the United States to keep its troops in Iraq

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Abadi, Trump in talks to keep U.S. troop presence in Iraq after IS

Posted on May 5, 2017

BAGHDAD,— Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is in talks with the Trump administration to keep American troops in Iraq after the fight against the Islamic State group in the country is concluded, according to a U.S. official and an official from the Iraqi government.

Both officials underlined that the discussions are ongoing and that nothing is finalized. But the talks point to a consensus by both governments that, in contrast to the U.S. withdrawal in 2011, a longer-term presence of American troops in Iraq is needed to ensure that an insurgency does not bubble up again once the militants are driven out.

“There is a general understanding on both sides that it would be in the long-term interests of each to have that continued presence. So as for agreement, yes, we both understand it would be mutually beneficial. That we agree on,” the U.S. official said.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The talks involve U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Iraqi officials over “what the long-term U.S. presence would look like,” the American official said, adding that discussions were in early stages and “nothing has been finalized.”

U.S. forces in Iraq would be stationed inside existing Iraqi bases in at least five locations in the Mosul area and along Iraq’s border with Syria, the Iraqi government official said. They would continue to be designated as advisers to dodge the need for parliamentary approval for their presence, he said.

He said al-Abadi is looking to install a “modest” Iraqi military presence in Mosul after the fight against the Islamic State group is concluded along with a small number of U.S. forces. The forces would help control security in the city and oversee the transition to a political administration of Mosul, he said.

The U.S. official emphasized that there were no discussions of creating independent American bases in Iraq, as such a move would require thousands more personnel. He said the troops levels would be “several thousand … similar to what we have now, maybe a little more.”

Currently, the Pentagon has close to 7,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, many not publicly acknowledged because they are on temporary duty or under specific personnel rules. The forces include troops training Iraqi forces, coordinating airstrikes and ground operations, and special forces operating on the front lines.

The news comes as Iraqi forces are struggling to push IS fighters out of a cluster of neighborhoods in western Mosul that mark the last patch of significant urban terrain the group holds in Iraq, nearly three years after the militants overran nearly a third of the country.

Such an agreement would underscore how the fight against IS has drawn the U.S. into a deepening role in Iraq.

At the height of the surge of U.S. forces in 2007 to combat sectarian violence that nearly tore Iraq apart, there were about 170,000 American troops in the country. The numbers were wound down eventually to 40,000 before the complete withdrawal in 2011.

The U.S. intervention against the Islamic State group, launched in 2014, was originally cast as an operation that would largely be fought from the skies with a minimal footprint on Iraqi soil. Nevertheless, that footprint has since grown given Iraqi forces’ need for support.

During a visit to Iraq in February, Mattis and Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, described an enduring partnership between the U.S. and Iraq.
“I imagine we’ll be in this fight for a while and we’ll stand by each other,” Mattis said.

Townsend, who was standing by Mattis, declined to say how long the United States will stay in Iraq. But, he said, “I don’t anticipate that we’ll be asked to leave by the government of Iraq immediately after Mosul.” He added, “I think that the government of Iraq realizes their very complex fight, and they’re going to need the assistance of the coalition even beyond Mosul.”

The talks over a longer-term U.S. presence has greatly concerned Iran, which in turn is increasing support to some of Iraq’s Shiite militia forces, said Jafar al-Husseini, a representative from Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shiite militia group with close ties to Iran.

“Iraq’s security forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces (mostly Shiite militia groups) have the ability to protect (Iraq’s) internal roads and borders, so why is al-Abadi using American security partners?” al-Hussein asked.

Al-Abadi has long struggled to balance Iraq’s dependence on both the U.S. and Iran. Both countries are key security and economic partners for Iraq, yet are often at odds with each other when it comes to regional politics and security in the greater Middle East.

Over the nearly three-year-long fight against IS, Iraqi forces closely backed by the U.S.-led coalition have retaken some 65 percent of the territory the extremists once held in the country, according to the U.S.-led coalition. But Iraq’s military is still in the process of rebuilding and reorganizing after it was largely gutted by widespread corruption under former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

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