With the American raid on Iraq.. the most prominent events and stations in 20 years

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[size=52]With the American raid on Iraq.. the most prominent events and stations in 20 years[/size]

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US forces in Iraq - archive photo
With the approach of the twentieth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, which toppled the regime of former President Saddam Hussein, the visit of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Baghdad came to present prospects and the future of US-Iraqi relations in the post-Ukraine war world.[/size]
[size=45]Observers believe that the visit of the US Secretary of Defense, in light of the escalation of international and regional crises, is a sign that Iraq is still of utmost importance to Washington's policy makers in the region and around the world.[/size]
[size=45]They point out that the visit carries messages in several directions, the main meaning of which is that Washington is committed to playing a major role in Iraq and preserving its influence in it due to its geopolitical and economic importance, in light of the intensification of global tensions and struggles for control and vital spaces between the major players, especially in the Middle East region. .[/size]
[size=45]The reality of post-war Ukraine[/size]
[size=45]Other analysts believe that Washington is trying to rectify the decline of its regional influence in general and in Iraq in particular, but the reality of international relations after the Ukraine war gives ample space for various countries in the region, including Iraq, to ​​avoid entrenchment in global axes against another, and not to get involved in its conflicts, rivalries and liquidations. her accounts.[/size]
[size=45]The engineering of American influence in Iraq[/size]
[size=45]The director of the Center for Political Thinking in Baghdad, Dr. Ihsan Al-Shammari, said in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”:[/size]
[size=45]America is working to engineer the future of its influence and presence in Iraq, not only militarily and in terms of security as advisory forces, but is also keen to ensure its political and diplomatic presence in it at various levels.
Washington, after 20 years, believes that the size of the sacrifices it made to overthrow the previous regime, and the formation of Iraq after it, is an integral part of establishing the current political system in Iraq, and therefore it does not take into account the possibility of withdrawing from Iraq as much as it seeks to devote its long-term presence in it.
America, in the context of confronting the challenges it faces in the region, whether Iranian, Russian or Chinese, takes into account that the Iraqi geography in the strategic, political, economic and security sense must be the focus of American attention.
In this sense, Iraq's rise again in the US priorities is part of Washington's long commitment to Mesopotamia, and its eagerness to secure a major role in it in the context of regional and international tensions.
Beyond ISIS[/size]
[size=45]Al-Shammari adds:[/size]
[size=45]The US-Iraqi cooperation is not only related to the fight against ISIS and the security file, but rather the files that link the two countries include various sectors and fields, especially political and economic, especially in the fields of energy and banking policies, and in an unlimited number of sectors.
The United States has returned to Iraq after the emergence of ISIS, which is still a major challenge for Baghdad and Washington, but America seeks to make Iraq a station for facing the various challenges facing its policies in the region.
mutual need[/size]
[size=45]In turn, the head of the Al-Amsar Center for Strategic Studies, Dr. Raed Al-Azzawi, said in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”:[/size]
[size=45]US-Iraqi relations, two decades after the fall of the former regime, are facing a new turning point, and Austin's visit is undoubtedly very important and comes as an expression of the need for dialogue between the two parties to face common challenges, and to ensure continued coordination and partnership between the two countries.
Thus, the Iraqi side, in turn, is fully aware of the importance of the Americans remaining in Iraq, especially in light of the regional and internal tensions, the continuing threats of ISIS, and the negative role of the local militias loyal to Tehran. That is why the international coalition will remain in Iraq, and the Iraqi (Sudanese) Prime Minister himself said it explicitly during his meeting with Austin, when he expressed Iraq's desire to establish an effective relationship with the United States.
This visit is a matter of concern for Iran, and there is no doubt that it believes that Iraq is a gateway to it. Therefore, Austin's visit may be reflected in the form of the Iranian decision-maker recalculating his accounts in a number of vital and sensitive files, the most important of which is the nuclear file and negotiating it with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Messages[/size]
[size=45]Thus, it is a visit with multiple messages and indications, but it is undoubtedly an indication of Washington's desire to proceed with weaving a strong strategic relationship with Baghdad, which also needs that, and on the basis of balance, parity, and common interests.
The content of the conversations[/size]
[size=45]After his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, Austin stressed that “the American forces are ready to stay in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government. .[/size]
[size=45]He added, "The United States will continue to strengthen and expand our partnership to support Iraq's security, stability, and sovereignty."[/size]
[size=45]While the Iraqi Prime Minister affirmed his government’s keenness to strengthen relations with the United States, according to a statement issued by the Sudanese media office, which stated that “during the meeting, they reviewed joint cooperation between Iraq and the United States, and the performance of the Iraqi security forces in combating terrorism, and pursuing ISIS gangs.” terrorist.”[/size]
[size=45]During the meeting, Al-Sudani affirmed, "the government's keenness to strengthen relations with the United States of America, and consolidate them at various levels and levels," pointing to "the government's approach to pursuing balanced relations with the regional and international environment based on common interests and respect for sovereignty."[/size]
[size=45]He stated that "the stability of Iraq is a key to the security and stability of the region," pointing to "Iraq's role in converging views and reducing tensions in the region."[/size]
[size=45]US forces in Iraq[/size]
[size=45]At the end of 2021, the US Army announced the end of its combat missions in Iraq, especially with the increasing pressure on the Iraqi government regarding the role of US forces.
After that, the tasks of the remaining forces in Iraq changed, so that their role was limited to the task of advising and training Iraqi forces to combat ISIS.
The United States currently has 2,500 soldiers in Iraq, after the number of American forces there had reached 160,000 in 2008.
These forces provide assistance and advice to Iraqi forces to fight ISIS, which in 2014 took control of vast areas of the country, and Iraq announced its defeat in 2017, but it still has sleeper cells and is active in many Iraqi regions.[/size]
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