Russian envoy: US ready to withdraw from Iraq
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Russia's envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, says he is unsure how long the withdrawal process might take, referencing Afghanistan's case as a possibility of a quick withdrawal.
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Russia’s special envoy on Syria and lead negotiator to the Astana talks, Russian diplomat Alexander Lavrentyev, on January 23, 2017. (Tasnim)
Alexander Lavrentyev, the special presidential envoy of Russia to Syria, announced that Russia has evidence that the United States stated that it's ready to start withdrawing its military contingent from Iraq.
After the 21st international meeting on Syria on the Astana platform, Laverntyev stated, "As far as we know, the US side has declared its readiness to meet the demands of Iraq and to start withdrawing the US military contingent," adding," It is difficult to judge how realistic this is, though. This process may last long, even years."
"The Americans, as you can see in many countries, get in very easily, regardless of the opinion of the leadership of certain countries, ostensibly for fighting terrorism. A very fashionable pretext this is. But getting out proves far more difficult," Lavrentyev added.
Recalling that the US withdrew from Afghanistan quickly, he pointed out, "But there was a threat of physical impact on the representatives of the American expeditionary corps present there. They were forced to get out of there virtually in no time, in coordination with the Taliban."
"In all likelihood, the same may happen on the territory of Iraq, and on the territory of Syria. Whenever we contact our Kurdish colleagues we always tell them that it is necessary to negotiate, it is necessary to stay in touch with the central government, because you have to live together. You are a single state," Lavrentyev stated.
Iraq and the US might come to an agreement
Iraq's Foreign Ministry reported that Baghdad and Washington have agreed to form a committee to begin discussions on a timeframe for the gradual departure of American soldiers from the nation.
The Ministry said in a statement published on Thursday that military officials will meet to discuss the future of the US-led military coalition in Iraq.
According to the statement, both countries agreed to create working committees to develop "a specific and clear timeline" that will allow the "gradual reduction of its (the coalition's) advisors on Iraqi soil," adding that the timeline will depend on the "threat posed by IS and its danger," as well as the "reinforcement of the capacities of the Iraqi security forces."
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also confirmed "working group meetings of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) in the coming days."
Last week, 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.
The Iraqi Resistance's operations against the US forces have proven to be potent, with CNN reporting that the recent airstrikes launched by the US against local Resistance groups made the discussions more important.
It is noteworthy that the Resistance attacked US forces in Syria and Iraq in a bid to boot them out due to their support of the Israeli occupation in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
As the United States violated Iraq's sovereignty on numerous occasions, but more recently in an attack on a PMF leader, calls from the Iraqi government for the withdrawal of US troops have amplified in response to these strikes.
