US Says It’s Not Discussing Withdrawing From Iraq

The State Department says recent talks with the Iraqi government are about transitioning to a 'bilateral security partnership'

The State Department on Wednesday said that at “no point” in recent talks with the Iraqi government has the US discussed the idea of withdrawing troops from Iraq.

The comments came in response to questions about reports saying that the US was planning to withdraw. Tasnim, an Iranian news agency, reported this week that the US and Iraq would announce plans for a withdrawal next month.

State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that the talks with the Iraqi government had been focused on transitioning US involvement in Iraq from an international coalition to a “bilateral security partnership,” which would mean an open-ended US military presence.

“At no point did we discuss the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, but we continued to discuss the transition to a – what we would say a bilateral security partnership,” Patel said.

There are currently about 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition, known as Operation Inherent Resolve. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani began calling for the withdrawal of the coalition at the end of 2023 after the US began launching airstrikes against the PMF, a group of mainly Shia militias that are part of Iraq’s security forces. Al-Sudani has said that Iraqi troops could handle ISIS remnants without the foreign coalition.

In response to al-Sudani’s calls, the US began talks with Iraq on the future of the US-led coalition, but in all statements released on the negotiations, the two sides left open the possibility of a continued US presence under a different name. This arrangement would not please PMF fighters, and the lack of progress toward a US withdrawal could be the reason why rocket and drone attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria have restarted.

A total of 12 US troops and one American contractor were injured last week by attacks in Iraq and Syria. Patel’s comments could end up provoking even more attacks since the Shia militias have been clear they want to see the US leave.

Iraq’s government has been under pressure to expel the US since January 2020, when a US drone strike in Baghdad killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. After the strike, the Iraqi parliament voted to expel US forces, but the US refused to leave.

The US has been able to stay in Iraq due to the significant economic leverage it has over the country. Since the 2003 invasion, Iraq’s foreign reserves have been held by the US Federal Reserve, giving Washington control over Baghdad’s dollar supply and the ability to devalue the Iraqi dinar. The US also keeps tight control over Iraq’s ability to pay its neighbor Iran for much-needed electricity.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.