Baghdad committed to end presence of US troops in Iraq: Iraqi general
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Given the high capabilities of Iraqi forces, the presence of the US-led military coalition is no longer considered necessary for addressing terrorism-related issues.
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A photograph of car bomb attack on a U.S. military convoy in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday July 15, 2005, is inserted into the scene at the same location Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 20 years after the American-led invasion of Iraq (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Spokesman for Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) Brigadier General Yahya Rasool stated on Sunday that the government of Iraq is determined to terminate the deployment of foreign troops associated with the US-led military coalition, which was originally formed to combat ISIS.
"The Iraqi government is resolute to put an end to the deployment of foreign forces in the country. It has devised a vision plan for the next stage, which includes joint technical activities intended for the US-led coalition's departure and subsequent security and military cooperation," Rasool stated.
He further stressed that the presence of the US-led military coalition in Iraq is no longer deemed necessary, noting that the capabilities of Iraqi forces are high enough to address terrorism-related issues themselves.
On Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani reiterated the call for the coalition's departure.
"The end of the US-led coalition mission is a necessity for the security and stability of Iraq. It is also a necessity for preserving constructive bilateral relations between Iraq and the coalition countries," Sudani stated during a televised event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Sudani has consistently expressed the desire for foreign troops to leave Iraq, with the country adopting a law to expel foreign forces following the assassination of top Iraqi and Iranian anti-terror commanders in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, both leading figures in the fight against ISIS, were martyred in the strike, sparking renewed calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq.
Read more: Iraqi PM: Timeframe for withdrawal of int'l coalition should be set
The US military has come under constant attacks in Syria and Iraq since October 17. The majority of the 140+ operations have been adopted by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a collection of Islamic Resistance factions that operate under a collective wing.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh admitted earlier this week that US forces in the region came under attack 140 times. Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, Singh disclosed that the attacks have been "persistent and alarming."
"To date, there have been approximately 140 attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria: 57 attacks in Iraq and 83 attacks in Syria," she stated.
The Pentagon has reported a significant toll on its personnel, with nearly 70 military members wounded and one non-combatant contractor losing their life as a result of these attacks.
US forces in Iraq under attack
On Saturday, US forces in Ain al-Assad Airbase in western Iraq came under attack, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported.
Sources told Al Mayadeen that the attack encompassed several large caliber rockets fired from multiple directions toward the airbase. Moreover, our sources revealed that at least 10 rockets directly hit the airbase's wing or its vicinity.
In the same context, Iraqi media outlets have reported on initial observations regarding the detection of a large barrage of rockets launched in the direction of the American military base.
Meanwhile, Fox News' correspondent Lucas Tomlinson posted on X that over 15 US Patriot surface-to-air missiles were launched to intercept what he claimed were Iranian missiles.
Read more: Iraq's Kurdistan PM urges continued US presence in the region
Reuters reported that US personnel suffered injuries as a result of Saturday's attack on Iraq's Ain al-Assad air base Saturday.
The official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters that the initial report is based on preliminary data and is subject to change, as the US forces assess their losses.
Importantly, the official said the initial reports indicate that the base was hit by several ballistic missiles but left open the possibility that the base was hit by rockets.
Later, the US Central Command confirmed that multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched in Western Iraq targeting the Ain al-Assad air base, adding that "a number of US personnel are undergoing evaluation for traumatic brain injuries," while "at least one Iraqi service member was wounded."
