The Iraqi joint operations command denied on Monday media reports that Baghdad had reached an agreement or held negotiations with the United States to deploy forces in Syria.
The reports alleged that the deal would see the forces enter 70 kilometers into Syria to fill the vacuum left behind from the withdrawal of US forces.
US President Donald Trump announced last week that he was pulling out his troops from Syria after declaring that the ISIS terrorist group has been defeated.
The joint command added that Iraqi forces were prepared to confront any infiltration from Syria and they were “completely securing the Iraqi-Syrian border.”
Media reports on Monday said that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had during telephone talks with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi requested that the Iraqi forces deploy in Syria after the US troop withdrawal.
Iraqi presidential spokesman Loqman al-Feely said that Salih has always stressed the importance of supporting a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis. Such a goal requires coordination with neighboring countries and the international community in order to avert a new regional conflict.
Abdul Mahdi had chaired a national security council meeting Sunday to discuss the US withdrawal.
A statement at the end of the meeting said that the government was performing its duties to protect the country and it was taking preemptive measures to avert any possible repercussions of the US decision.
Security expert Ahmed al-Sharifi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US withdrawal “will have a clear impact” on the Iraqi-Syrian border.
By withdrawing from Syria, the US has handed control to Turkey, which will result in the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pulling out from western Syria, he added.
This will leave Iraq on the forefront of a direct confrontation with ISIS in Syria, he predicted.
Meanwhile, military sources revealed to the Asharq Al-Awsat that the senior officers of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces were keen on entering Syria after the US pullout.
Armed groups expert Hisham al-Hashemi told Asharq Al-Awsat that he believes that the Iraqi political and military circles were weighing their options in regards to the vacuum that will be left behind by the US troops. One option could be sending a force to fill the possible vacuum that will be left by the SDF.
This however, could lead to a clash between Iraq and Turkey, which Baghdad wants to avoid, he added.
Ultimately, he said, Iraq is better off relying on its capabilities and efficiently defending its border against ISIS.
