The third exit of American forces from Iraq may take place 5 years from now

POSTED ON[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] BY [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=52]The third exit of American forces from Iraq may take place 5 years from now[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad/ Tamim Al-Hassan[/size]
[size=45]A few weeks ago, the first arrangements for dialogue began between Baghdad and Washington regarding the withdrawal of coalition forces, but most likely this will not take place until several years after the term of the current government of Muhammad al-Sudani ends.[/size]
[size=45]Observers indicate that the withdrawal of American forces from the country for the third time - the second withdrawal was at the end of 2021, according to a government statement - may threaten Iraq with isolation and exposure to ISIS attacks.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sudani announced over the weekend that his government’s position was “firm and principled” regarding the removal of international coalition forces after the justifications for his presence in Iraq had ended. This position came hours after Washington announced its assistance to Iraq in determining the locations of what it called “Iranian agents” in Iraq, referring to the factions, while Baghdad denied this.[/size]
[size=45]One day earlier, Washington had confirmed the killing of a leader in one of the armed factions that it accuses of bombing American military personnel in Iraq, in a raid in central Baghdad.[/size]
[size=45]According to an official close to the coordination framework who spoke to Al-Mada, the Shiite coalition “authorized Muhammad Al-Sudani more than a month ago to discuss with Washington in order to remove those forces from the country.”[/size]
[size=45]There are about 2,500 American soldiers in Iraq, working as part of Washington's efforts to prevent the return of ISIS, which took control of nearly half of Iraq in 2014.[/size]
[size=45]The official, who requested that his name not be mentioned, confirms that “since the beginning of last month, the first preparations for negotiations between the two parties have actually begun, but most likely the evacuation of the forces will take between 3 to 5 years, which means several years after the end of the Sudanese term (the term of the current government ends in the year Next)”. On Friday, the Prime Minister said: “We affirm our firm and principled position in ending the presence of the international coalition after the justifications for its existence have ended.” He added, at a memorial ceremony held by the crowd on the anniversary of the airport incident, that he was in the process of setting a date for “the start of the dialogue through the bilateral committee that was formed to determine the arrangements for the end of this presence, and it is a commitment from which the government will not back down.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sudani’s words appeared to be a reaction to what the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) said that Baghdad is cooperating to determine the locations of the factions accused of bombing the US forces, and the killing of “Abu Taqwa al-Saeedi” in the first assassination of a leader in the factions after the airport incident.[/size]
[size=45]Since mid-October, days after the outbreak of the Gaza war, the factions have carried out more than 100 attacks on American bases at home and abroad. Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said on Friday that Washington had taken necessary and proportionate measures against “Mushtaq Jawad Kadhim al-Jawari, also known as Abu al-Taqwa, who was the leader of Harakat al-Nujaba.”[/size]
[size=45]Ryder confirmed that “Bau Taqwa actively participated in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel,” noting that the raid led to the death of another member of the Al-Nujaba movement.[/size]
[size=45]He added, "We know that the Iraqi security forces have continued to help identify some cases in which these Iranian proxies carried out attacks against American forces, and we greatly appreciate this support, and we will continue to rely on this relationship." On the other hand, the Security Media Cell, linked to the Iraqi government, responded with denial to this information, which embarrassed Baghdad. She said in a statement, “We strongly deny the existence of such cooperation,” stressing at the same time that the killing of Al-Saidi was carried out directly “without the knowledge of any Iraqi military or security party, as is the case with the recent attacks that targeted security sites.” This is the seventh attack carried out by Washington inside Iraq, since the Gaza events, where the number of casualties from the factions rose to about 20 dead and wounded. Baghdad had previously announced the arrest of the perpetrators of those attacks on American forces, and said that they were linked to the security forces, without Give other details.[/size]
[size=45]In addition, Ihsan Al-Shammari, the academic and head of the Center for Political Thinking, told Al-Mada: “The call to schedule the American withdrawal is a reaction to the killing of the commander of the 12th Brigade in the Popular Mobilization Forces (Abu Taqwa Al-Saeedi), and it is part of the conciliatory policy carried out by the Sudanese towards the coordination framework.” Which began to accuse the government of involvement in the issue of striking the factions.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Shammari stated that the new attempts to remove the coalition forces are no different from those undertaken by the previous government of Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, which was also among the pledges of the then Prime Minister to the factions in order to calm the political situation.[/size]
[size=45]At the end of 2021, Baghdad announced the end of the combat role of the international coalition forces, and the transition to a new mission of providing advice, assistance and empowerment to the Iraqi forces, while the coordination framework subsequently questioned the sincerity of the procedures.[/size]
[size=45]American forces had returned to Baghdad, at the request of the government in 2014, against the backdrop of the entry of ISIS, after they had left for the first time at the end of 2011.[/size]
[size=45]Regarding the effects of the withdrawal, Al-Shammari, a professor of public policy at the University of Baghdad, pointed out that “this measure will provoke Washington, and it will know that it made a wrong bet on the Sudanese, who it expected would implement the policy of partnership between the two parties.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Shammari stated that the measure will pave the way for “the beginning of American alienation and American turning away from Iraq, and thus will lead to a reduction in diplomatic representation, followed by a similar measure from the rest of the world, which will put Iraq in international isolation.” The professor of public policy also stressed that the American forces “are still providing military advice, logistical support, armament and air strikes, and constantly updating the military mentality, which is what all armies in the world need.” According to official statements, Iraq still lacks an advanced air defense system, while ISIS launches attacks from time to time in some remote villages.[/size]
[size=45]Regarding the alternative, Al-Shammari says, “The government did not offer an alternative to the American forces, but according to the point of view of the government’s allies, Iran will be the alternative.”[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]