US troops in Iraq were invited, PM Abdul-Mahdi tells critics
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – US-led coalition troops are stationed in Iraq at the government’s invitation and have stood by Iraq through difficult times, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said Tuesday. His comments come amid calls for an immediate US withdrawal.
“Continuously mentioning this topic [foreign troop presence in Iraq] causes worry to the people and confusion to the work of the Iraqi Armed Forces,” Abdul-Mahdi told reporters during his weekly press conference Tuesday evening.
“It also causes confusion on the side of those who stood by Iraq in its period of hardship and fighting Daesh, and helped in getting rid of Daesh,” he added, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State jihadist group.
He insisted there are no foreign military bases in Iraq – only Iraqi military bases hosting foreign advisors and trainers.
Shiite parties, many with close ties to Iran, have consistently called on the government to remove foreign forces from Iraqi territory.
MPs from the two biggest Shiite blocs in the Baghdad parliament – the Sayirun alliance headed by firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the Hashd al-Shaabi-linked Fatih coalition – have vowed to table legislation demanding foreign troop withdrawal.
The federal parliament is currently is in recess.
Calls for a full troop withdrawal gained renewed momentum in recent months after US President Donald Trump made an unscheduled visit to US troops stationed at Iraq’s Ain al-Assad military base on December 26.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pose for a photo with US military personnel at al-Asad air base in Iraq on December 26, 2018. Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP
Critics called the whirlwind visit a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and an insult after Trump failed to meet with any Iraqi officials.
Trump further provoked Iraqi critics earlier in February when he said he would like to keep US troops in Iraq to “watch” Iran.
Abdul-Mahdi said these concerns must be discussed in a “responsible manner”.
The foreign troops are in Iraq based on the invitation of the Iraqi government itself, he said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi (R) meets with the Commander of United States Central Command Gen. Joseph Votel in Baghdad, February 17, 2019. Photo: Prime Minister's Office
“If there is a change, the government, the parliament, or the American forces themselves will announce it, such as in Syria. The stance is very clear. There can’t be confusion. It is very clear for everyone,” he added.
By contrast, Kurdish parties argue an ongoing US presence is required to counter the threat of ISIS resurgence and to counterbalance Iranian and Shiite hegemony in Iraq.
Sunni parties also see the US an unlikely savior from the threat of another ISIS destroying their cities and of Shiites dominating Iraq.
‘Insult’ to Iraqi forces
Joey Hood, chargé d’affaires of the US embassy in Baghdad, says US and NATO forces would leave Iraq if requested to do so by the Iraqi government.
In a press statement issued Tuesday, Hood insists the US does not operate any military bases in Iraq. He emphasized that Iraqi forces are not yet ready to manage the nation’s security alone, requiring external support and guidance.
US forces will not use Iraqi soil or airspace to attack other countries, he added.
Qais al-Khazali, head of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq Shiite militias, rejected Hood’s claim that Iraq is unable to defend itself.
“The recent statement by the acting head of the US embassy in Iraq that Iraqi forces aren’t ready on their own to defend Iraqi soil is an insult to the Iraqi Armed Forces,” Khazali tweeted Tuesday.
“It is another attempt at justifying the American presence. He has to know that Iraq is strong with its people and armed forces,” the militia leader added.