Iraq
An Iraqi soldier stands guard in front of a US military aircraft at the al-Qayyarah base, near Mosul, on March 26, 2020. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A joint United States and Iraq military commission met again on Sunday to continue discussions about winding down the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) mission in Iraq. Talks will continue as long as “nothing disrupts” them, Iraq’s top military spokesperson said.
The US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) met in Baghdad to “assess the military situation, the level of danger, the operational environment, and the capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces,” Yehia Rasool, military spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said in a statement on X.
With that assessment, a timetable will be formulated for a “well-studied and gradual reduction” of coalition forces leading to the conclusion of the coalition’s mission in Iraq and “transitioning to a bilateral relationship,” he said.
“As long as nothing disrupts the smooth progress of the discussions, the meetings will occur periodically to complete the committee's work as quickly as possible,” he added.
Sudani in late January presided over the first round of talks of the HMC, the purpose of which was to evaluate the coalition’s future role in Iraq based on the level of ISIS threat, operational and environmental requirements, and the capabilities of Iraqi security forces.
The Iraqi government has repeatedly said it wants to end the presence of foreign military forces in the country after the US, to Baghdad’s ire, conducted several retaliatory strikes targeting state-linked armed groups that are backed by Iran.
In January, Iraqi government spokesperson Basem al-Awadi told state media that the end of the coalition’s mission in Iraq “will be achieved during the current cabinet.”
Baghdad’s language has been clear that the commission’s aim is to bring an end to the presence of the coalition forces in the country, while Washington has described the step as a “transition” in the coalition’s role.
The Iraqi parliament on Saturday condemned deadly American strikes.
“The Council of Representatives calls on the government to prevent all forms of attacks targeting Iraqi territory, not to allow the country to be made an arena for settling scores, and for countries to adhere to agreements and treaties without distortion or different interpretation,” First Deputy Speaker of the parliament Muhsin al-Mandalawi said during Saturday’s session.
The parliament met to discuss a petition signed by more than 100 MPs that proposes a binding resolution to remove all foreign troops from Iraq. Mandalawi referred it to the parliament’s security and legal committees.
The US security relationship with Iraq fully transitioned into an advising and assisting role in December 2021, triggered by Baghdad's anger over US actions that the Iraqi government deemed a violation of its sovereignty, most notably the assassination of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and deputy chief of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad in early 2020.
Iran-aligned groups are leading the charge to force US troops out of the country. The armed groups have struck bases housing the international coalition in Iraq and Syria with rockets and drones over 160 times since October 17, against the backdrop of Washington’s support for Israel in its war in Gaza.
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