An American spokesman reveals the details of ending the international coalition’s mission in Iraq
A US State Department spokesman confirmed that Washington and Baghdad are "close" to agreeing to start the work of the Supreme Military Committee in preparation for transforming the mission of the US-led International Coalition to Defeat ISIS into bilateral relations.
The spokesman told Al-Hurra website: “As we announced in August 2023, we are looking forward to moving forward with (the formation of) the Higher Military Commission (or HMC for short), because it reflects the United States’ deep commitment to regional stability and Iraqi sovereignty.”
The spokesman added, "The United States and Iraq are close to agreeing on the start of the Supreme Military Committee dialogue, which was previously announced in August."
The spokesman stressed that "HMC is a point to discuss the transition of the international coalition to defeat ISIS to steadfast bilateral security relations between Iraq and the United States."
He stated, "The two parties will discuss how the mission can develop within a time frame according to several factors, including the threat from ISIS, the operational environment, and the capabilities of the Iraqi forces."
The spokesman concluded his statement to Al-Hurra by saying: "We have talked about this matter for months, and the timing has nothing to do with the recent attacks. The United States will reserve its full right to defend itself during the talks."
Al-Hurra website says that the spokesman’s confirmation came in response to a request for comment regarding reports published by Reuters and CNN that talked about the launch of negotiations between Washington and Baghdad regarding the American presence in Iraq.
Yesterday, Wednesday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry received a letter it described as “important” from the US government, conveyed by Ambassador Elena Romanski, indicating that the Prime Minister “will study this message,” according to what the Iraqi Foreign Minister announced.
Subsequently, Al-Sudani chaired a meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, during which developments in the security situation in Iraq were discussed.
Four sources told Reuters yesterday, Wednesday, that the United States and Iraq are about to begin talks on ending the mission of the US-led military coalition in Iraq and how to replace it with bilateral relations, a step in a process that was halted due to the war in the Gaza Strip.
Iraq, one of the few countries that is an ally of both Tehran and Washington, has witnessed an escalation in mutual attacks between armed factions and American forces since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, as the factions seek to put pressure on the United States because of its support for Israel.
American forces in Syria and Iraq were subjected to about 150 attacks launched by factions allied with Iran, and the United States launched a series of attacks in response to what it was exposed to, the last of which was on Tuesday.
The escalating violence prompted the Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, to call for the speedy exit of the Washington-led coalition forces through negotiations, a process that was about to begin last year, but the war in Gaza led to its faltering, according to what was reported by Reuters.
Washington did not want to negotiate a possible withdrawal while it was under attacks, as it feared that any change in the mission would appear to occur under pressure, which would embolden regional rivals, including Iran, according to Reuters.
Two sources told Reuters that calculations had changed amid the realization that the attacks would likely not stop and that the current situation was leading to a steady escalation.
An American official told the same agency that the committee will allow for a joint assessment of the Iraqi security forces' ability to fight ISIS "and determine the nature of the bilateral security relationship."
The attacks are carried out by Iraqi armed factions with close ties to Iran, most of whom are not represented in parliament or the government, but have influence over the decision-making process.
Iraqi and American officials hope that the formal start of the talks will contribute to easing political pressure on the Sudanese government and perhaps reduce attacks on American forces, according to Reuters. link
