Washington is mulling to cancel understandings with Iraq on the withdrawal of its forces from the country as Iraqi officials said that the recent missile attack on the Ain al-Asad base was the reason behind this shift in the US decision.
Official sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington has halted the negotiations process over the pullout of its troops from Iraq.
The sources said: “The situation is very complicated due to the recent attack on Ain al-Asad.”
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday that Baghdad decided to postpone the date of the end of the mission of the international coalition led by the United States.
“The announcement of the end of the military mission of the international coalition in Iraq has been postponed due to the recent developments,” it said.
The Iraqi military base, which hosts American advisors, was attacked by two missiles, claimed by an unknown group calling itself “revolutionaries.”
Washington said that a number of US soldiers stationed at the base as part of the international coalition’s missions in Iraq were injured in the attack.
Meanwhile, the US State Department denied that the negotiations with the Iraqis were about the forces’ withdrawal, but rather about developing relations and coordinating security efforts.
On Thursday evening, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington discussed with the Iraqi government the future of the international coalition.
“At no time did we discuss the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq,” he noted, but pointed that talks were underway on the transition to what he described as a bilateral security partnership.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry swiftly replied to the American statements by saying they were “inaccurate.”
In a press statement, the ministry emphasized that the work of the Supreme Military Committee focused during the past months on assessing the threat of the ISIS organization, with the aim of reaching a final date for ending the international mission.
“On this basis, the presence of international coalition advisors of all nationalities on Iraqi soil will be terminated,” it added.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hussein Allawi, advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, said that the Foreign Ministry’s statement indicated that those working on Iraqi soil were advisors to the international coalition, and that the Iraqi government was seeking to end their mission in accordance with the decision taken by the government in January.
“After ten years, Iraqi security forces are able to fully manage national sovereignty, and therefore the Supreme Military Committee has decisive meetings to set a timetable for ending the coalition’s mission,” he remarked.
