2024-03-25 03:40:13
Washington Ambassador: The coalition against ISIS has not finished its work in Iraq
The US ambassador to Baghdad, Alena Romanowski, said that “ISIS still poses a threat in Iraq.” She added in an interview with Reuters published on Sunday that “the work of the US-led military coalition with Iraq to completely defeat the organization is not over yet.”
Senior Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, have repeatedly said that the organization no longer poses a threat in Iraq and there is no longer a need for the coalition, even as members of the organization continue to carry out attacks elsewhere.
These statements come at a time when the Iraqi Prime Minister is preparing to visit Washington in the middle of next month, in a move that receives great local and regional attention, and in light of calls and pressure from armed factions to announce the withdrawal of American forces from the bases present on Iraqi soil, and to end the mission of the “International Coalition against ISIS.” .
Since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, Iraqi armed factions have intensified their attacks on the Ain al-Assad and Harir bases, which contain American personnel within the international coalition against ISIS. These factions and politicians supporting them are demanding the departure of American forces.
“We both appreciate that ISIS still represents a threat here,” Romanowski said from the US Embassy in Baghdad. Although it has declined significantly, we have not essentially accomplished our work and we want to ensure that Iraqi forces can continue to defeat ISIS.”
The ambassador’s statements came after the ISIS branch in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert hall in Russia on Friday, in which 137 people were killed.
The ambassador said in an additional comment after the interview, “As this incident (the attack in Russia) reminds us, (ISIS) is a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere.”
She added, “This is why the United States and Iraq share a commitment to ensuring the permanent defeat of ISIS, including by working together to shape the future of a strong bilateral security partnership between the United States and Iraq.”
The US ambassador met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid on Sunday, and a presidential statement stated that Rashid affirmed his country’s keenness to “continue building strong relations that serve mutual interests, respect national sovereignty, and enhance joint cooperation in various fields.”
Meanwhile, Iraq announced (Sunday) the arrest of nine ISIS militants in a security operation in Diyala Governorate. The Security Media Cell of the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement, “As a result of the intelligence efforts undertaken by the National Security Service to pursue the remnants of terrorist gangs, and after the availability of security information about the presence of members of those gangs in one of the orchards of Diyala Governorate, 9 of them were arrested and they explicitly admitted their affiliation to (ISIS gangs).”
On a recent level, the Iraqi government spokesman, Bassem Al-Awadi, reported (Sunday) that the agenda of Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington includes several bilateral and regional files that will cover the Iraqi Prime Minister’s meetings with US President Joe Biden.
Al-Awadi told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The main topic of the visit of the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, to Washington is to discuss the prospects for the future relationship beyond the international coalition, and then move to comprehensive relations between the two parties, including the security, military and armaments aspects.” .
He added, “Ending the mission of the international coalition will be the first file, then moving on to comprehensive relations, and there is a complete legal basis in the agreement.”
He noted that “the visit was scheduled to take place late last year, 2023, but the war on Gaza affected that, especially since the Iraqi positions are clear regarding the Gaza war, and the visit cannot take place at a time when the feelings of Iraqis and Arabs in general and the world are in solidarity and sympathize with the Palestinians.” Therefore, it will lose its contents.
Regarding the seriousness of activating the strategic framework and scheduling the withdrawal of the “International Coalition,” Al-Awadi said: “This file has been decided by the Iraqi and American parties,” according to what he said. He added: “The Iraqi government is 100 percent serious about this issue, and the Prime Minister cannot be flattering about this issue or debate it, as it relates to the future of Iraq and the country’s sovereignty and is not subject to maneuver.”
He stressed that “what the Prime Minister says is what he is working on, and he will discuss future relations beyond the international coalition, and the negotiations will lead to positive results and a timetable for withdrawal,” stressing that “this fact cannot be doubted.”
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