The reality of Iraqi-American negotiations; A change in the role of the international coalition or its exit?

According to knowledgeable sources in Baghdad who talked to al-Arabi al-Jadeed, the Iraqi and American sides are going to hold a new meeting focusing on the future presence of American coalition forces in the second half of March. The meetings will be moved to Washington later.

According to these sources, these meetings depend on the upcoming visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani to the United States, for which an official date has not yet been set.

Three military subcommittees from Iraq and the United States to prepare a comprehensive assessment of the security situation in Iraq, including the extent of the threat of ISIS, ensuring its return as a source of danger to the security of Iraq, the readiness of Iraqi forces to manage the country’s security, including International borders with other neighboring countries and Iraq’s current need for an international coalition continue in tasks such as air cover, intelligence data, ammunition, support, etc.

A senior official of the Iraqi government, who asked not to be named, told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that the current series of meetings, which were three in number, contrary to media reports, did not deal with the idea of ​​staying or withdrawing these forces, but were military and security technical meetings that In addition to the Iraqi forces’ needs for air support, support for ground forces, intelligence coverage and information analysis, especially on the Syrian side, where ISIS is active as scattered groups, the country’s security situation, the readiness of Iraqi forces and Places of danger or loopholes have been raised and investigated.

According to Iraqi official statements, last February, bilateral negotiations between Baghdad and Washington regarding the withdrawal of international coalition forces from Iraq were resumed, relying on the “reviewed and gradual reduction” of these forces and the end of the mission of the coalition forces. Internationally, America became the leader.

An Iraqi military official told al-Arabi al-Jadeed in a clear reference to the responsibility of the system of armed groups, which are close to 200,000 people among about 800 armed groups, that “the United States will protect the independence of the Iraqi army and its ability to remain as a He proposed the institution for all Iraqis and not turning it into a second force”.

This responsible official claimed: The current meetings of the Iraqi and American committees are going well, but as much as they are preparing a field and military study and a perspective for the governments of the two countries by the military commanders participating in it, negotiations to preserve It is not an extension of the work of the American coalition.

Transition to new role for international coalition forces

This source noted: The general atmosphere of these talks is towards a new transition to the role of the international coalition in Iraq, for training and information exchange and in bases and camps affiliated with the Baghdad government, and not to end it. According to the same official, this is what was leaked from the decision-making circles in the Sudanese government and this transition will be in the framework of the agenda that will be extended until the end of 2026.

Last week, Reuters reported, citing a source it described as a “senior official” in the Iraqi government, that “talks between the United States and Iraq on the complete withdrawal of American and international forces from Iraq may take until to continue from the American presidential election on November 5”.

Before that, Ian McCurry, the representative of the US in the international coalition, denied the existence of a current plan for the withdrawal of US forces and the international coalition from Iraq. McCurry’s statements coincided with various statements by Iraqi officials, especially Al-Sudani, who stated that the goal was to set a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces and end the role of the international coalition in Iraq.

Al-Sudani said at the beginning of this month that “the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq is one of the basic commitments of the government before the recent events in Gaza” and noted that “negotiations with the American side were postponed due to the events in Gaza, while the Iraqi government three He held an important meeting with the American side to resolve the issue of the withdrawal of these forces from Iraq as soon as possible.
Qassem al-Araji, Iraq’s National Security Adviser, also emphasized in a televised statement last Tuesday that “the government should be given a chance to negotiate with the United States on the issue of ending the international coalition mission.” He added: There is no need for foreign forces in the field. The Prime Minister personally supervises the management of the case to end the presence of the international coalition.

Karim Al-Mohammadavi, the head of the Security and Defense Committee of the Iraqi Parliament, also told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that the Sudanese government is serious about ending the work of the international coalition and the American presence in Iraq. The dialogue between Baghdad and Washington to solve this issue is still ongoing.

He stressed that “there is no specific timetable for ending the role of the international coalition, and the determination of the timetable depends on the progress of the negotiations”.

However, Al-Mohammadavi described the existence of what he described as “a real fear of procrastination and buying time by the US in talks with the aim of delaying the end of the mission of the international coalition”, without such an intention on the part of the US in postponing this case until after He said that the American presidential election is unlikely, but there will be political and public pressure to solve this issue quickly.

A decision during the next US president

In an interview with Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, Iraqi security expert Ahmed al-Sharifi said: “The data indicates that the US is not serious about withdrawing, and this issue has been announced and clarified through the statements of the American officials. The dialogue between Baghdad and Washington has unknown results and there is a great contrast between the positions of the two sides

Al-Sharifi predicted that “the talks between the two sides will be delayed until after the US presidential election and the new Washington administration will decide what to do about the work of the international coalition in Iraq”.

He noted: We will not see a solution to the issue of foreign presence in Iraq in the near future, and the Sudanese government is also aware of this issue and is negotiating with Washington to calm the security situation between Iraqi groups and the Americans.

About 2,500 American soldiers have been in Iraq since September 2014 under the pretext of being part of the so-called international coalition against terrorism led by Washington. These soldiers are stationed in three main bases in Iraq, namely Ain al-Asad base in Anbar, Harir base in Erbil and Camp Victoria near Baghdad International Airport. All these forces are not American, because French, Australian and British forces are also present in the coalition forces and another in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Iraq.

Source: ISNA