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US Preparations Underway ahead of Announcing Troop Reduction in Iraq

A helicopter flies near the Harir base in Erbil (Archive - Rudaw)
A helicopter flies near the Harir base in Erbil (Archive - Rudaw)
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US Preparations Underway ahead of Announcing Troop Reduction in Iraq

A helicopter flies near the Harir base in Erbil (Archive - Rudaw)
A helicopter flies near the Harir base in Erbil (Archive - Rudaw)

The United States is expected to soon announce an agreement to reduce its troop presence in Iraq, amidst reports of international coalition equipment being transferred from Anbar and Baghdad to the Kurdistan region and northeastern Syria.
While Shiite political forces in Iraq remain skeptical about the US withdrawal, the Iraqi government insists the process will follow a set timetable without severing its security ties with international coalition forces. According to Politico, Washington plans to announce the reduction within a week, following final negotiations with Baghdad.
The troop reduction means Iraqi forces will operate with less direct US support. However, uncertainty surrounds the coalition’s continued air support for Iraqi forces. American officials emphasized that despite the withdrawal, the fight against ISIS is not yet over, and reports suggest Washington will maintain a small military presence in Iraq's Kurdistan region.
During a recent debate, US Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris stated that no American soldier is currently serving in active combat zones worldwide, marking a first for this century. However, the US still has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, conducting military and intelligence operations to prevent ISIS from regaining strength.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani previously stated that Iraq no longer needs US troops, as they have largely succeeded in defeating ISIS, and he plans to soon announce a timetable for their withdrawal.
The agreement is also expected to allow US forces to continue using Iraqi bases to support operations in Syria.
Local news agencies reported, citing an unidentified military commander, that international coalition forces have begun specific preparations for their withdrawal from the capital, Baghdad.
The officer explained on Saturday that these preparations include sites within the Green Zone and joint operations, with expectations that the process will be completed by mid-next year, based on initial information, with a move to an alternative location in the Kurdistan region.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Baghdad, Alina Romanowski, stated that threats to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty remain ongoing. In a post on X, she reaffirmed her country’s commitment to working with the Iraqi government and civil society to support a peaceful and prosperous future for Iraq.
Sudani departed for New York after meeting with several key leaders of the Coordination Framework, excluding Nouri Al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law coalition.
The Iraqi premier is scheduled to deliver Iraq's address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He will also participate in the Summit of the Future, where numerous world leaders and presidents will gather to enhance cooperation, address global challenges, and reaffirm commitments, according to the Prime Minister's media office.

 

 

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Israel’s Retaliatory Responses to Houthis Must Begin by Drawing Intelligence Plan

A person inspects damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv on December 21, 2024 (EPA)
A person inspects damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv on December 21, 2024 (EPA)
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Israel’s Retaliatory Responses to Houthis Must Begin by Drawing Intelligence Plan

A person inspects damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv on December 21, 2024 (EPA)
A person inspects damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv on December 21, 2024 (EPA)

Israel is considering options to respond to repeated attacks fired from Yemen in the past few days, the latest of which was a Houthi missile strike that injured more than a dozen people in Tel Aviv.
But military experts say Israel should first consider an intelligence plan for confronting the new front after it faced significant difficulties in both defending against and responding to the Houthi attacks.
On Saturday morning, Houthis launched a missile that triggered sirens throughout central Israel at 3:44 am. It was the second attack since Thursday.
Israel's military said the projectile landed in Tel Aviv's southern Jaffa area, adding that attempts to intercept a missile from Yemen failed.
“The incident is still being thoroughly investigated,” the army said, adding that following initial investigations by the Israeli Air Force and Home Front Command, “some of the conclusions have already been implemented, both regarding interception and early warning.”
Israeli military experts say the recent Houthi attacks have revealed serious security gaps in Israel's air defense systems.
“The pressing question now is why none of the other of Israel’s air defense layers managed to intercept the warhead,” wrote Yedioth Ahronoth's Ron Ben-Yishai. “The likely explanation is the late detection and the flat trajectory, which prevented the operation of all available defense apparatus.”
He said these incidents might expose a critical vulnerability in the army’s air defense system protecting Israel’s civilian and military home front.
According to Ben-Yishai, two main reasons might explain Saturday’s interception failure.
The first is that the missile was launched in a “flattened” ballistic trajectory, possibly from an unexpected direction.
As a result, Israeli defenses may not have identified it in time, leading to its late discovery and insufficient time for interceptors to operate.
He said the second, and more likely scenario is that Iran has developed a maneuverable warhead.
Such a warhead separates from the missile during the final third of its trajectory and maneuvers mid-flight—executing pre-programmed course changes—to hit its designated target, he wrote.
And while Israel has launched initial investigations into the failure of Israeli defense systems to intercept the missiles, it is now examining the nature, date and location of its response.
When Houthis launched their first missile attack on Israel last Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned them, saying, “The Houthis will learn the hard way.”
But Israeli political analyst Avi Ashkenazi wrote in the Maariv newspaper that Israel should look at reality with open eyes and say out loud that it cannot deal with the Houthi threat from Yemen, and has failed to face them.
Last Thursday, 14 Israeli Air Force fighter jets, alongside refuelers and spy planes, flew some 2,000 kilometers and dropped over 60 munitions on Houthi “military targets” along Yemen’s western coast and near the capital Sanaa.
The targets included fuel and oil depots, two power stations, and eight tugboats used at the Houthi-controlled ports.
But the Maariv newspaper warned about the increasing involvement of Iran in supporting the Houthi forces.
“Iran has invested more in the Houthis in recent weeks following the collapse of the Shiite axis, making the Houthi movement a leader of this axis,” the newspaper noted.
Underscoring the failures of Israel’s air defense systems, Maariv said the “Arrow” missile defense system, Israel's main line of defense against ballistic missiles, had failed four times in a row to intercept missiles, including three launched from Yemen and one from Lebanon.
Yedioth Ahronoth's Ben-Yishai also warned that the threat posed by maneuvering warheads on Iran's heavy, long-range missiles would become existential for Israel should Iran succeed in developing nuclear warheads for these missiles.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 said that in recent months, the Middle East has changed beyond recognition.
The channel said that for the first time in more than half a century, a direct and threat-free air corridor has been opened to Iran through the Middle East. Israel will benefit from this corridor to launch almost daily attacks on the border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, it said.
Channel 12 also reported that according to the Israeli military, the new threat-free corridor will help Israel launch a future attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
“From Israel's perspective, the fall of the Assad regime and the collapse of the Iranian ring of fire are changing the balance of power in the Middle East,” the report added.