Iraq Prepares to Close Down US-Led Coalition’s Mission  

Iraqi security forces stand near a gate after a reported drone attack on a security headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, 04 January 2024. (EPA)
Iraqi security forces stand near a gate after a reported drone attack on a security headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, 04 January 2024. (EPA)
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Iraq Prepares to Close Down US-Led Coalition’s Mission  

Iraqi security forces stand near a gate after a reported drone attack on a security headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, 04 January 2024. (EPA)
Iraqi security forces stand near a gate after a reported drone attack on a security headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, 04 January 2024. (EPA)

The Iraqi government is forming a committee to prepare the closing down of the US-led international coalition's mission in the country, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office said on Friday.

Sudani's statement came a day after a US strike killed a militia leader in Baghdad, prompting anger among Iran-aligned groups which demanded the government end the presence of the coalition in Iraq.

"Government is setting the date for the start of the bilateral committee to put arrangements to end the presence of the international coalition forces in Iraq permanently," a statement from the prime minister's office said.

The committee would include representatives of the military coalition, a government official said.

The US military launched Thursday's strike in retaliation against recent attacks on US personnel, the Pentagon said.

The United States has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq on a mission it says aims to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of ISIS, which in 2014 seized large parts of both countries before being defeated.

Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq and Syria oppose Israel's campaign in the Gaza Strip and hold the US partly responsible.

Sudani has limited control over some Iran-backed factions, whose support he needed to win power a year ago and who now form a powerful bloc in his governing coalition.

"We stress our firm position in ending the existence of the international coalition after the justifications for its existence have ended," Sudani was quoted as saying in the statement.

ISIS claimed responsibility on Thursday for two explosions in Iran that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores at a memorial for top commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in 2020.



Biden, Macron to Declare 60-Day Ceasefire between Hezbollah, Israel on Tuesday

 Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
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Biden, Macron to Declare 60-Day Ceasefire between Hezbollah, Israel on Tuesday

 Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)

US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron will declare on Tuesday morning a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Asharq Al-Awsat learned from widely informed sources on Monday.

Washington has spoken of “cautious optimism” that the US proposal for a ceasefire could be a success. The proposal calls for Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the area between the Blue Line and Litani River in a manner that can be verified. In return Israeli forces will withdraw from the regions they occupied since they carried out their limited invasion of Lebanon.

The discussions the US government had on the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire were positive and are headed in the right direction towards a deal, the White House said on Monday.

"We're close," said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. "The discussions ... were constructive, and we believe that the trajectory of this is going in a very positive direction. But, yeah, nothing is done until everything is done." 

The relative positivity prevailed in spite of the ongoing wide-scale military operations between Israel and Hezbollah in the South and Israel’s air raids deep in Lebanese territory. Hezbollah has also fired rockets deep in Israel, reaching Tel Aviv.

Analysts have said the intense attacks suggest that both Israel and Hezbollah are trying to maximize their leverage as diplomats conduct what they hope is a final round of ceasefire talks, reported the New York Times on Monday.

The New York Times reported on Friday that the terms included a 60-day truce during which Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters pull back from border areas and the Lebanese Army and a United Nations peacekeeping force increase their presence in a buffer zone.

But officials have also warned that the two sides may not be able to finalize a deal, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from right-wing allies not to end the military campaign.

Israel’s hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said in a social media post on Monday that the proposed deal would be a “historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.”

Observers meanwhile told Asharq Al-Awsat that all pending issues related to the US proposal have been resolved from the Lebanese side, while Israel has some lingering reservations.

Israeli officials said Netanyahu’s security Cabinet is set to convene on Tuesday to discuss the ceasefire proposal.

Two officials confirmed the Cabinet meeting is set for Tuesday, but they said it is still not clear whether the decision-making body will vote to approve the deal.

The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations.