The “global confrontation tool”: why the US refuses to withdraw its troops from Iraq

The US authorities announced their intention to take all necessary measures to protect the collective interests of Washington and Baghdad. This was announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo following a telephone conversation with the acting Prime Minister of Iraq.

“He spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi about Iran’s attack on Iraqi sovereignty. We will do our best to protect the peoples of the USA and Iraq and our collective interests, ”Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

Spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdel-Mahdi on Iran's attack against Iraqi sovereignty. We will do whatever it takes to protect the American and Iraqi people and defend our collective interests.

In addition, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry reported that a provisional charge d'affaires of Iran was summoned to the department and was given a note condemning the blows inflicted on a number of military facilities in Iraq on which American troops are deployed. “All interested parties were called for restraint,” the foreign ministry added.

The day before, the State Department expressed confidence that the Iraqi government did not intend to implement the resolution of the republic’s parliament on the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. This was stated by a senior official of the American Foreign Ministry, answering the corresponding question during a briefing.

“From the point of view of the political situation, of course, I cannot predict the actions or statements of the Council of Representatives (Iraqi parliament. - RT ), but I would also like to note for reference that the resolution adopted by him is not binding and ask: who is in Iraq would you like the withdrawal of American troops? I believe that at the moment no one in the Iraqi government would like this, ”said the representative of the State Department.

• US Department of State Building
• Reuters

According to him, today those Iraqis who are not connected with the state security system do not work in the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs or in the office of the Prime Minister, "they might think that there is a general concern about any military presence in Iraq." However, we are talking not only about the American military presence, but also about the influence of Iran on the situation in the country, according to the State Department.

“If we analyze the situation, even before the attack of the Kataib Hezbollah group on the US military and before our response to the actions of the Iranians, the Iraqi people had reason to worry about Iranian influence, which is why they took to the streets,” the representative said State Department. The diplomat added that the US side is cooperating with the Iraqis "on all kinds of security aspects, starting from large-scale, significant projects and ending with the mine clearance problem."

It is worth noting that today there are several US military bases in Iraq, and the total number of US troops is about 5 thousand people.

Very expensive airbase

Recall that after the Iranian general Kassem Suleimani was killed as a result of a US missile strike on the suburbs of Baghdad, the Iraqi parliament at an emergency meeting voted to withdraw a foreign military contingent from the country. The draft resolution has been submitted by the legislature and. about. Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi.

• US strike at Baghdad airport
• Reuters
• © Iraqi Security Media Cell

According to the document, the government should withdraw the request for military assistance from the international coalition to combat the Islamic State *, stop the presence of foreign military forces in Iraqi territory and appeal to the UN with a complaint about US actions violating Iraqi sovereignty. The resolution entered into force immediately after the vote.

As Abdel Mahdi said earlier, the US side informed Baghdad of the impending attack on Iraqi territory only a few minutes before it was launched, and the Iraqi authorities did not give permission to conduct this operation.

On January 6, the representative of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Iraq, Abdel Kerim Half, announced that the Iraqi leadership had begun to prepare a mechanism for the withdrawal of a foreign military contingent from the country. It was clarified that the activity of the international coalition to combat IS in Iraq is planned to be limited only by consultations and arms deliveries, while foreign military should leave the country.

On the same day, Western media outlets circulated a letter from the press service of the United States-led international anti-terrorism coalition. The report said that out of respect for the sovereignty of Iraq, coalition units are ready to leave the republic in the near future. It was clarified that the authenticity of the document was confirmed by American and Iraqi military officials.

The White House did not refute the fact of the existence of the document, but stated that the letter was made public by mistake.

“This letter is a draft. It was a mistake, it was not signed, it should not be made public ... (The letter was. - RT ) was worded incorrectly. It involves the withdrawal of troops, which is not really happening, ”said Mark Milli, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In turn, the head of the Pentagon, Mark Esper, said he did not know anything about this letter.

“We are finding out where it came from, but there is no decision to leave Iraq. Point, ”he said.

Commenting on the statement made by the American side, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova proposed "fixing" Washington's recognition of the error in the document on the allegedly preparing withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

“I propose to fix the word“ mistake ”, otherwise tomorrow they will again begin to nod to“ Russian hackers ”or RT,” Zakharova wrote on Facebook.

US President Donald Trump also expressed reluctance to withdraw the US military from Iraq. A politician threatened Baghdad with sanctions if the Iraqi government shows a negative attitude towards the United States.

“If there is any hostility, if they do something that seems unacceptable to us, we will impose sanctions against Iraq, very significant sanctions,” Trump said.

In addition, the head of the White House said that the US military will not leave the republic until the Iraqi government compensates the US for the cost of building an air base in Iraq.

“We have a very expensive air base, which is located there. Its construction cost billions of dollars. Long before me. We won’t leave if they don’t pay us for her, ”Trump emphasized.

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Trump announced earlier about the big expenses of the American side for the construction of the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq. In a February 2019 interview with CBS, the U.S. leader said the Iraqi air base was the best place to track the situation in the Middle East. Trump noted that he intends to maintain an American military presence in Iraq to control Iran.

The statement of the American leader provoked then a negative reaction from official Baghdad. Iraqi President Barham Saleh said that Iraq does not intend to become "a party or an axis of the conflict between different countries", but would like to develop relations with everyone. An even sharper reaction to the words of the American leader was followed by the speaker of the Iraqi parliament, then Hassan al-Qa'abi held this post. The politician called for the termination of the security agreement with Washington and the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.

Tactics of contention

However, experts doubt that despite calls made by Iraqi politicians to withdraw the US military from the country, Baghdad will decide to take such a step. This opinion was expressed in an interview with RT by the political scientist-orientalist, associate professor of the RSUH Sergey Seryogichev.

“The representative of the State Department did not distort the truth when he stated that the resolution of the Iraqi parliament on the withdrawal of foreign troops is not legally binding, since this is not a law, but only a resolution of the parliament. In practice, the Iraqi government is really not ready to withdraw American bases from the country, since in this case the system of power built in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein will collapse, in which Shiites are the leaders. And they rely on the American presence. In case of leaving the region of the United States, the struggle between the Shiite and Sunni parts of society may resume in the country, ”the expert explained.

According to Seryogichev, in the event of the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, the country may repeat the scenario that was played out in Afghanistan after the Soviet troops left the country. Therefore, the Iraqi Shiite government is not ready to refuse American assistance, the interlocutor of RT is sure.

“Another thing is that the United States itself can minimize its presence in the future, because Trump is not profitable for American troops to suffer heavy losses. He can leave part of the troops to guard the embassy and objects strategically important for the Americans, ”says Seryogichev.

• US President Donald Trump
• Reuters
• © Kevin Lamarque

In turn, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, Vladimir Bruter, expressed the view that, with a statement that the Iraqi government was not ready to begin the withdrawal of the US military from the country, State Department representatives are trying to sow contradictions between the Iraqi cabinet and the Council of Representatives.

“Washington does not intend to withdraw its forces from Iraq, instead, the Americans will try to quarrel among themselves all the political forces in the country. First of all, discord can be sowed and strengthened between different political branches of Iraqi Shiites, as well as between them and other communities - local Kurds, Christians, Sunnis. This will be the key goal of the States in Iraq in the coming years, ”the political scientist said in a conversation with RT.

At the same time, it is important for the United States to maintain its military presence in Iraq, Bruter believes.

“The fact is that Washington views its troops as an instrument of global confrontation. In Iraq they oppose Iran, in Syria - both Russia and Iran. Therefore, the American leadership does not allow the thought of the final withdrawal of its contingent from these countries. If the White House sees a profit in the current situation, then it will not pay attention to someone’s protest, ”the expert summed up.

* “Islamic State” (IG) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.