Mawazine News – Reports
The American newspaper “Politico” reported on Saturday that the United States is preparing to announce an agreement with Baghdad this week, related to reducing the number of American troops in Iraq.
The troops, currently numbering 2,500 troops, are expected to leave by the end of 2026, a decision that sparks widespread controversy among some American lawmakers.
The report pointed out that negotiations between the Iraqi and American sides have reached their final stages, while there is still concern about the continuation of the battle against the remnants of terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria.
A senior US Department of Defense official confirmed that “terrorist organizations have been defeated on the ground, but the threat they pose remains.”
This agreement is expected to be announced after a meeting between American and Iraqi officials on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The agreement is part of President Joe Biden’s administration’s efforts to reorganize U.S. commitments abroad before the end of his term.
But the decision sparked concern in Congress, where Republican House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers expressed frustration with the deal, saying it “lacks any strategic military advantage” and could lead to the strengthening of terrorist organizations.
Despite these criticisms, US and Iraqi special forces continue to carry out attacks against the leaders of terrorist organizations, and a Defense Department official confirmed that these operations will continue even as the US presence in Iraq has been reduced.
This comes at a time when the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, announced that “the justifications are no longer available” for a major American forces presence, referring to the achievement of stability and the decline in the threat of terrorist organizations.
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Abbasi also confirmed that an agreement had been reached to transform Operation Inherent Resolve into a sustainable security partnership.
Despite the decrease in the threat of terrorist organizations compared to previous years, the report indicates an increase in the pace of attacks by the organization in Iraq and Syria during the current year, where the organization carried out 153 attacks in the first half of 2024 compared to 121 attacks last year.
In conclusion, the report stated that the negotiations between the United States and Iraq focus on moving from a military mission to a long-term bilateral security partnership, in cooperation with all international coalition partners.
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