Amid growing Iraqi opposition to U.S. airstrikes against Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, the Pentagon stressed Thursday that future talks between U.S. and Iraqi officials will not negotiate a future U.S. troop withdrawal.
In a statement released by the Pentagon on Thursday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that U.S. military personnel are in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government and that they are participating in “Operation Inherent Resolve,” the He said the attack was carried out as part of a military operation (the name given to the military operation conducted against the United States). Islamic State (ISIS) supports Iraqi security forces.
“The United States remains committed to a safe, stable, and sovereign Iraq,” said Austin, who continues to recover from a recent hospitalization at home. “In the 10 years since the Iraqi government invited the United States and the coalition to fight ISIS, the United States and Iraq have enjoyed a deep and productive partnership on security issues.”
About 2,500 U.S. troops are stationed there, and another 900 or so have been sent to Syria to prevent an ISIS resurgence. As of Monday, U.S. military locations in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 151 times by Iranian-backed extremist groups since October.
But despite the Pentagon’s claims, Iraqi officials have expressed a desire to end the U.S. presence in Iraq in recent weeks amid mounting criticism of U.S. airstrikes in the country. Defense talks between the countries appear to indicate a positive attitude towards an eventual US withdrawal. An armed group supported by Iran.
in response In response to this week’s U.S. airstrikes, the Iraqi government strongly condemned the U.S. military operation, saying the strikes were a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and were “contributing to a reckless escalation,” according to the BBC.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani said in multiple interviews with Western media this month that the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq is no longer justified and expressed his desire for the U.S. military to withdraw quickly. Ta. Despite these statements, U.S. officials said they have not received any formal requests to the Pentagon or White House to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.
Pentagon officials dodged questions about the Iraqi official’s comments and said Thursday that upcoming bilateral talks are not about negotiating the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, but rather are aimed at enabling a lasting security partnership. He repeatedly emphasized that he was there.
“Let me be clear. “This interagency meeting is not a negotiation regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq,” Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, said Thursday at the Pentagon. “The United States and the coalition are in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government to fight ISIS. They have assured us of their commitment to working together to shape this.”
The U.S.-Iraq High Military Commission, an expert group of military and defense officials from both countries, is scheduled to meet in the coming days to consider three key elements that will lay the foundation for future operations between the two countries.
The group will investigate ISIS’ current threat to the Iraqi government. Capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces. and consider operational and environmental factors.
In military terminology, operational considerations generally refer to examining a country’s current political, social, and economic conditions, while environmental considerations refer to the examination of the current political, social, and economic conditions of a country, while environmental considerations The purpose is to avoid or minimize negative impacts on military operations.
Iraqi officials confirmed in a statement that bilateral talks have begun, but it is unclear at this point whether talks about a U.S. troop withdrawal will be on the table.