Iraq Forms ‘Military Committee’ to Schedule US Withdrawal

Iraq announced the success of negotiations with the US government to launch a Higher Military Committee to set a timetable for a phased withdrawal of the troops and ending the US-led international coalition’s presence in the country.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move comes "in fulfillment of its national obligations and in line with the growing capacity and efficiency of the Iraqi government," declaring the success of the ongoing negotiations with the US.
The statement explained that the negotiations concluded with the "necessity of launching the Higher Military Committee (HMC) at the level of working groups to evaluate the threat and danger of ISIS and the situational and operational requirements."
The two parties also agreed on strengthening the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces "to put a clear timeline that specifies the duration of the presence of the US-led international coalition's advisors in Iraq."
The statement added that one of the committee's goals is to start "the gradual and deliberate reduction of its advisors in Iraq , ending the military mission of the coalition against ISIS, and shifting to comprehensive bilateral relations with the coalition countries."
Iraq renewed its commitment to maintain the "safety of the international coalition's advisors during the negotiation period in all parts of the country, and maintaining stability and preventing escalation."
Earlier, the State Administration Coalition, an alliance of Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish political parties, held a meeting and called on all countries to respect Iraq's sovereignty and ensure its internal security is not threatened.
During the meeting, the coalition denounced and rejected all attacks on Iraqi territory, calling on all countries to respect Iraq's sovereignty.
The coalition affirmed its support for government efforts aimed at conducting bilateral dialogue with the international coalition to redetermine the relationship, with the end of its unique mission to assist Iraq in its war against the terrorist organization.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein discussed Spain's role in the international coalition with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Bueno.
Spain is part of the US-led international coalition tasked with training and advising the Iraqi security forces in their fight against ISIS.
During a joint press conference at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry headquarters in Baghdad, Hussein explained that the Spanish soldiers helped Iraq In its war against ISIS.
He valued Spain's role as a member of the NATO mission and assisting the Iraqi forces.
For his part, the Spanish minister said they discussed military attacks targeting Spanish bases, adding that the two parties will hold meetings with military officials in Baghdad to discuss protecting the military forces.
- Approval after rejection
Earlier, local media reported that Washington had yet to respond to Iraq's request regarding the activation of the bilateral committee to begin the US withdrawal from Iraq, which Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani had announced on Jan. 04.
Sudani chaired a meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security, during which the latest developments in the security situation in Iraq were discussed.
The talks focused on the recent attacks in Iraq, constituting a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty. It emphasized taking all necessary political, diplomatic, and security measures to protect Iraq's sovereignty and preserve its security.
- Withdrawal scenario
Political science professor at al-Nahrain University Yassin al-Bakri stated that the timing of the message, its circumstances, and the way it was announced suggest that it includes strict definitions about the nature of the US presence in Iraq.
Bakri estimated that the US officials would demand clear and serious commitments regarding the protection of their advisors while holding the Iraqi government responsible for the security, political, and economic repercussions.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that US demands mean Iraq may pay the price.
He explained that it was essential to consider how political forces would view a tense relationship with the US.
It is clear that there is no consensus on the withdrawal request, said the expert, noting that Sunnis and Kurds want the US forces to remain in Iraq, and there are parties within the Coordination Framework that understand the repercussions of this move.
He explained that the conflict now is between the concept of "state and non-state," linking the domestic interest with the repercussions of the escalation in Iran.

Sudan’s paramilitary unleashed drones on the Red Sea city of Port Sudan early Tuesday, hitting key targets there, including the airport, the port and a hotel, military officials said. The barrage was the second such attack this week on a city that had been a hub for people fleeing Sudan's two-year war.

There was no immediate word on casualties or the extent of damage. Local media reported loud sounds of explosions and fires at the port and the airport. Footage circulating online showed thick smoke rising over the area.

The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan's military-allied government, underscores that after two years of fighting, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are still capable of threatening each other’s territory.

The RSF drones struck early in the morning, said two Sudanese military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, a Port Sudan resident, said he woke up to strong explosions, and saw fires and plumes of black smoke rising over the port. Msha’ashir Ahmed, a local journalist living in Port Sudan, said fires were still burning late Tuesday morning in the southern vicinity of the maritime port.

The RSF did not release any statements on the attack. On Sunday, the paramilitary force struck Port Sudan for the first time in the war, disrupting air traffic in the city’s airport, which has been the main entry point for the county in the last two years.

A military ammunition warehouse in the Othman Daqna airbase in the city was also hit, setting off a fire that burned for two days.

When the fighting in Sudan broke out, the focus of the battles initially was the country's capital, Khartoum, which turned into a war zone. Within weeks, Port Sudan, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the east of Khartoum, turned into a safe haven for the displaced and those fleeing the war. Many aid missions and UN agencies moved their offices there.

The attacks on Port Sudan are also seen as retaliation after the Sudanese military earlier this month struck the Nyala airport in South Darfur, which the paramilitary RSF has turned into a base and where it gets shipments of arms, including drones.

Iraq Forms ‘Military Committee’ to Schedule US Withdrawal