The United States and Iraq expect to begin talks soon to wind down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq, both governments said Thursday. The announcement comes as U.S. forces in Iraq have been increasingly targeted by Iran-backed militias, though the U.S. says the time frame for the discussions is not related to the attacks.
Quick Read
Key Points of U.S.-Iraq Talks on Ending Military Coalition Mission:
- Upcoming U.S.-Iraq Discussions: The United States and Iraq are set to begin talks on winding down the U.S.-led military coalition’s mission against the Islamic State group in Iraq.
- Increasing Attacks on U.S. Forces: U.S. forces in Iraq have faced over 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias since the Israel-Hamas war began, raising concerns about broader regional conflict.
- Recent Missile Attack and U.S. Response: A serious attack by Kataib Hezbollah on the al-Asad Air Base led to a U.S. counterstrike, killing militia fighters and sparking protests against U.S. presence.
- Background of Military Coalition: The coalition was formed to combat the Islamic State group, with the U.S. maintaining a continuous presence in Iraq since 2003.
- Focus of Negotiations: The talks will aim to establish a timetable for the withdrawal of coalition advisors and transition to a bilateral security partnership.
- Iran-Linked Factions’ Likely Reaction: The announcement of these discussions may be seen as a victory by Iran-aligned factions in Iraq.
- Official Statements on Timing: A U.S. defense official stated that the timing of the talks is unrelated to recent attacks and emphasized the U.S.’s right to self-defense during negotiations.
- Iraq’s Commitment: The Iraqi government has pledged to ensure the safety of coalition advisors and maintain stability during the negotiation period.
- Tensions since 2020 Airstrike: Calls for U.S. troop withdrawal have intensified in Iraq, particularly after the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in 2020.
- Current U.S. Troop Deployment: Approximately 2,500 U.S. troops are currently stationed in Iraq, primarily involved in counter-IS missions and training.
- Injuries from Militia Attacks: U.S. personnel have suffered injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, from militia attacks on bases in Iraq.
- Iraqi Sovereignty Concerns: Iraqi officials have criticized U.S. strikes on militia targets as violations of Iraqi sovereignty.
- Iraqi Prime Minister’s Statement: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani asserted that the Iraqi army is capable of combating IS cells and stressed the country’s sovereignty.
- Disagreement on Withdrawal Timeline: U.S. and Iraqi officials have differing views on the timeline for coalition withdrawal, with the U.S. proposing 2-5 years and Iraq seeking a more immediate exit.
- Potential U.S. Presence in Kurdish Region: U.S. forces may remain in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, which has closer ties to Washington.
The discussions between the U.S. and Iraq mark a significant step towards redefining the two countries’ military and diplomatic relationship in the context of the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group and regional geopolitical dynamics.
The Associated Press has the story:
US & Iraq plan talks soon on ending the US-led military coalition mission in Iraq
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
The United States and Iraq expect to begin talks soon to wind down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq, both governments said Thursday.
The announcement comes as U.S. forces in Iraq have been increasingly targeted by Iran-backed militias, though the U.S. says the time frame for the discussions is not related to the attacks.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, they have struck American military installations in Iraq more than 60 times and more than 90 times in Syria, with a mix of drones, rockets, mortars and ballistic missiles.
On Saturday, Kataib Hezbollah launched the militia’s most serious attack this year, firing multiple ballistic missiles at al-Asad Air Base, a large air base in western Iraq where U.S. troops have trained Iraqi security forces and now coordinate operations to counter IS. The U.S. responded Tuesday, hitting three known Iranian militia locations and killing some of those fighters, while leading to protests for U.S. forces to leave.
The situation highlights the risk of the U.S. being drawn into a wider conflict in Iraq and beyond as anger over Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and U.S. support for Israel fuels the strikes by Iranian proxies.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the talks between the U.S. and Iraq are part of a higher military commission that was agreed upon last summer, before the war. The discussions will focus on the “transition to an enduring bilateral security partnership” between the two countries.
Iran-linked factions in Iraq are likely to claim as a victory the announcement about the talks on ending the U.S.-led mission.
A U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the discussions said the U.S. and Iraq have been “discussing this for months and the “timing is not related to recent attacks.” The U.S. will maintain the “full right of self-defense” during the talks, he said.
Iraq’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Baghdad aims to “formulate a specific and clear timetable that specifies the duration of the presence of international coalition advisors in Iraq” and to “initiate the gradual and deliberate reduction of its advisors on Iraqi soil,” eventually leading to the end of the coalition mission and a “move to comprehensive bilateral political and economic relations with the coalition countries.”
The ministry said Iraq is committed to ensuring the “ safety of the international coalition’s advisors during the negotiation period in all parts of the country” and to “maintaining stability and preventing escalation.”
Iraqi officials have periodically called for a withdrawal of coalition forces for years, particularly in the wake of a U.S. airstrike in January 2020 that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis outside the Baghdad airport. On Tuesday at the funeral for one of the Kataib Hezbollah fighters killed in a U.S. counterstrike launched
The U.S. has had a continuous presence in Iraq since its 2003 invasion. Although all U.S. combat forces left in 2011, thousands of troops returned in 2014 to help the government of Iraq defeat IS.
In the years since, the presence of U.S. forces conducting counter-IS missions and training has been a lightning rod for an increasingly influential faction of Iran-aligned militias and politicians in the country. There are an estimated 2,500 U.S. troops deployed to Iraq now.
Scores of U.S. personnel have received minor injuries including traumatic brain injuries from the militia attacks against U.S. bases there. The U.S. has struck militia targets in return, including some linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mainly Shiite, Iran-backed paramilitary groups that is officially under the control of the Iraqi military although in practice it largely operates on its own. Iraqi officials have complained that the U.S. strikes are a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said there is no longer justification for the coalition’s presence in the country and that the Iraqi army is capable of tracking and fighting the remaining IS cells.
“We are a sovereign country, and therefore it is only natural that we moved towards this position,” he said. “This is a request from the people, and this is a democratic country.”
An Iraqi government official said Baghdad had sent a written request to the White House in November for the withdrawal of the coalition forces. The official said that Iraqi and U.S. officials were at odds over the time frame, with U.S. officials proposing a two- to five-year timeline while the Iraqis wanted a more immediate withdrawal.
The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
U.S. forces would likely remain in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, whose government has closer ties to Washington.
