Reuters: Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani announced the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country
Iraq intends to withdraw all foreign troops from its state, the backbone of which is the US Armed Forces. To do this, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani wants to create a special commission. This decision was made by the authorities after the American strike on the headquarters of the people's militia in Baghdad, which killed the commander of the Shiite group Harakat al-Nujaba Abu Takwa. He helped maintain security in Iraq. Details can be found in the material of "Gazeta.Ru».
The Iraqi authorities have announced that they are beginning the process of withdrawing the US-led International Military Coalition from the country. This was reported by Reuters with reference to the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
There are currently 900 American troops in Syria, and 2.5 thousand in Iraq. The Americans claim that their soldiers are advising local forces and helping them prevent the resurgence of the terrorist Islamic State (IS), which seized a significant part of both countries in 2014.
Al-Sudani made a statement on the withdrawal of foreign troops the day after the US strike in Baghdad, which killed the commander of the Harakat Al-Nujaba military group Mushtaq al-Jawari (Abu Takwa). The Prime Minister has limited power over some groups, they form a powerful bloc in his ruling coalition. Iraqi and Syrian militias oppose the Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip and hold the United States partially responsible for what is happening. It was the local groups that demanded that al-Sudani withdraw the coalition from the country.
A source close to the prime minister told Reuters that the politician is under enormous pressure from influential Shiite parties. His statement is aimed at "calming down" the groups.
A government official told Reuters that the commission would include representatives of the International Coalition.
"We emphasize our firm position in ending the existence of the International Coalition after the justifications for its existence have ended," al-Sudani was quoted in a statement.
American Strike
On January 4, a drone struck the headquarters of the people's militia in Baghdad. As a result of the attack, Abu Takwa, the commander of the Harakat al-Nujaba Shiite group, and one of the fighters were killed. The Iraqi armed Forces blamed the International Military Coalition for the incident. The Pentagon confirmed the elimination of two members of the group in response to the attack by American forces. Since the beginning of the resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, American troops in Syria have been regularly attacked, for which Iraqi Shiite groups take responsibility.
According to the source of the Shafaq news agency, as a result of the airstrike, six more people received various injuries, including the commander of the intelligence of the people's militia.
Reuters found out from American officials that initially the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden did not plan to respond to the wave of attacks in Iraq because of the potential backlash. However, the fact that the local government has failed to curb the militias has pushed Washington to take a more aggressive approach. Sources told the agency that the recent strike was aimed at Mushtaq al-Jawari, as, according to the Pentagon, he was behind the attacks on American personnel.
At the same time, the Iraqi government stated that the victim was a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State. Later, the authorities recognized his group as an official security agency. The Pentagon declined to respond to the Iraqi government's comments.
What will the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq lead to?
While in Iraq, the US military supplies its military contingent in northern Syria. Experts point out that in the event of a withdrawal of troops from Iraq, it will be very difficult for the Pentagon to supply its bases in Syria, which may force Washington to finally withdraw its troops from the region.
Back in July 2023, the US command transferred additional military equipment and logistical assets from Iraq to its bases in Syria. According to the Syrian newspaper Al Watan, several military transport convoys crossed the border checkpoint "Al-Walid" and entered the territory of the northeastern province of Hasakah.
According to the publication, the number of troops in Syria has increased from 500 to 1.5 thousand since July 15. Some military technical personnel are assisting in the training of Kurdish fighters from the Forces of Democratic Syria (SDF), while others are protecting airfields and oil and gas fields in Hasakah and the neighboring province of Deir ez-Zor. Since 2015, the American command has established nine military bases in the region.
Two years ago, the Syrian SANA news agency reported that the Americans had organized oil smuggling in Syria for sale in Iraq and Turkey. According to journalists, US military personnel supplied military supplies, refrigerators and tanks from Iraq to the territory of the SAR. Pentagon officials are issuing contraband for the fight against Islamic State militants. Such illegal business greatly harms the Syrian economy, which needs to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure.
The deputy permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, stated back in 2022 that the Americans were stealing Syrian natural resources.
"I would like to use the meeting to highlight the pernicious situation that is developing in the north-east of Syria, which is still illegally occupied by the United States. An environmental disaster is unfolding in areas where the United States is openly stealing oil," Polyansky said, as quoted by TASS.
Alyona Fomina
