Ahead of the start of the strategic dialogue ... 4 reasons for the United States to keep its forces

[size=52]Ahead of the start of the strategic dialogue ... 4 reasons for the United States to keep its forces in Iraq[/size]

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[size=45]Experts and specialists in Iraqi affairs cite four reasons for the United States to keep its forces in Iraq, two days before the start of the strategic dialogue between Washington and Baghdad.[/size]
[size=45]At the request of the Iraqi government, the US administration agreed to resume the strategic dialogue between them in its second phase, on April 7, via closed-circuit television, to discuss the fields of security, culture, trade, climate, health, combating terrorism, economy and energy.[/size]
[size=45]The second phase of the strategic dialogue, the first in the era of US President Joe Biden, comes after two rounds of dialogue with the administration of former President Donald Trump during 2020, the first on June 10 and 11, via closed circuit television, and the second on August 19 and 20. During Al-Kazemi's visit to Washington.[/size]
[size=45]Armed militias pre-empt the launch of the dialogue with the United States, and announced their rejection of its outcomes, except on the condition that the American forces are removed from Iraq and the implementation of the parliament's decision that it took at the beginning of last year, after the assassination of the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Soleimani, and the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Authority, Qassem Soleimani.[/size]
[size=45]But specialists in Iraqi affairs confirm that the exit of foreign forces from the country at the current time may have negative repercussions on the security situation, in light of the ongoing military operations against extremist organizations and confronting militias.[/size]
[size=45]The war on ISIS[/size]
[size=45]The most prominent reasons for the United States to keep part of its forces in Iraq is to confront ISIS, and to preserve the gains made during the last period, in light of the support provided to the Iraqi forces, whether through air strikes, or logistical and technical support.[/size]
[size=45]Last month, the international coalition witnessed intensive operations and air strikes against targets and hideouts belonging to ISIS, in the governorates of Nineveh, Anbar and Salah al-Din, as well as Diyala, which caused dozens of deaths from the extremist organization.[/size]
[size=45]Last Friday, the international coalition against ISIS, led by the United States, announced that 107 members of the organization had been killed in Iraq and Syria during the past month.[/size]
[size=45]The coalition account on Twitter said, "During the month of March, our partners in Iraq and Syria, with the support of the coalition, carried out 78 operations against ISIS, and were able to deter 107 elements of ISIS's followers from carrying out terrorist acts against citizens."[/size]
[size=45]These statistics raise questions about the readiness of the security forces in the face of ISIS, and the possibility of dispensing with the support provided by the international community.[/size]
[size=45]Discussions will focus on the withdrawal of more American soldiers, the estimated 2,500 soldiers still in Iraq after the withdrawal of more than 2,700 of them during the last year of Trump's term (2017-2021).[/size]
[size=45]Confronting the militia intrusion[/size]
[size=45]Armed militias have sought to exploit the war against ISIS and its aftermath to strengthen their grip on the political, commercial and security joints, while some have been active in demanding the removal of international forces, such as the coalition against ISIS or NATO forces, which is seen by observers, in line with the Iranian vision for Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]In a speech last March 11, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stressed that "the United States must get out of Iraq."[/size]
[size=45]The issue of ending the US presence in Iraq has always been the subject of widespread political disputes in Iraq, where officials believe that the exit of US forces will open the way for Iran and its arms to increase its influence, at a time when the Iraqi government is facing pressure from Tehran and its proxies demanding the removal of foreign forces from Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]If this is the case for the incursion of armed groups and their growing control over sensitive sectors in politics and the economy, observers believe that the United States cannot completely withdraw from the country, leaving it prey to armed groups that do not believe in building the state and seek to implement the Iranian agenda.[/size]
[size=45]Support the Iraqi forces[/size]
[size=45]Despite the progress made in the path of strengthening the capabilities of the Iraqi military establishment and supporting sensitive agencies such as intelligence, it still needs to expand the scope of its work in the various governorates of the country, which requires a human and technical effort, in addition to developing strategic plans, to face the upcoming challenges, which is This confirms the need to continue to support the local forces of the Allies.[/size]
[size=45]Washington affirmed, during the first phase of the strategic dialogue, its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, and scheduling the withdrawal of US forces within three years, during which the Iraqi security forces would be rehabilitated as the United States continued to provide support in the war on ISIS, help Iraq economically, and support the Al-Kazimi government in conducting Early elections.[/size]
[size=45]But political parties do not care much about technical opinion and expert advice on the need for Iraqi forces to support the international coalition.[/size]
[size=45]The deputy for the State of Law Coalition, headed by former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Kata al-Rikabi, said in a press statement that “The Iraqi delegation scheduled to participate in the strategic dialogue sessions must implement the Council’s decision to remove foreign forces from Iraq, and that there will be a position of the Council in the event that the round of dialogue ends. Without approval of the withdrawal ».[/size]
[size=45]"The issue of the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq will have a great impact on the security issue, and Iraqi forces will be deprived of significant technical support, such as air strikes and intelligence information," said the retired general in the former Iraqi army and an expert in security matters, Mithaq Al-Qaisi. The local forces are still dependent on the technical support provided in this context.[/size]
[size=45]He added to (Pasnews), “The entry of politicians in this field will cause a great disaster, and they must move away from technical opinions that look at matters away from foreign loyalties, evaluate the field situation of the army and operations leaders, and the anti-terrorism apparatus, and adopt military expertise and exclude any political opinion. And freedom from external pressures that are too much imposed on the military establishment. ”[/size]
[size=45]No compatibility of ingredients[/size]
[size=45]The Iraqi Council of Representatives, which is dominated by a Shiite majority, adopts the obligation of the Al-Kazemi government to the Council's decision to remove all foreign forces from Iraq, a decision that was issued by the House of Representatives without a vote on it by the Sunni Arab representatives and the Kurds.[/size]
[size=45]The western provinces do not find it embarrassing to build bases for the international coalition and the United States, as is the case in neighboring countries, and this is one of the strengths of the international community, as in the Kurdistan Region, which hosts the Harir base in the capital, Erbil, and enjoys good relations with the United States.[/size]
[size=45]The head of the Kurdistan Region delegation in the Iraqi negotiating team in the strategic dialogue with the United States, Fawzi Hariri, said that the Iraqi delegation, including the region’s representatives, did not demand in previous rounds during the era of former US President Donald Trump to remove US forces from Iraq, but rather to assess the need for survival. And support for these forces according to scientific, military and security data.[/size]
[size=45]Hariri confirmed in press statements, that the current data indicate the need for informational and logistical support, in addition to armament and air cover by the American forces.[/size]
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