US Forces Withdraw from Iraq Air Base as Part of Redeployment Plan

Coalition’s Brigadier General Vincent Barker (R), Iraq’s Staff Major General Mohammad Fadhel Abbas (C) and Iraq’s Airforce Major General Shehab Zahed Ali (L) attend a pullout ceremony at the Qayyarah air base. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

US troops with the coalition fighting ISIS in Iraq on Thursday officially handed over the Qayyarah air base to the Iraqi military as part of their redeployment plan in the country.

"All the forces from Q-West [Qayyarah Air Force Base] are withdrawing. About 500 soldiers are withdrawing. But not all our forces are going to be withdrawing from Iraq," Joint Operations Officer at the base General Vincent Barker said.

In a statement, the General said: “Today marks another milestone for the anti-ISIS international military coalition and our Iraqi Security Forces partners.”

He added that Thursday’s transfer was coordinated with the Iraqi government.

“The coalition troops will depart Q-West base after the completion of equipment transfers to Iraqi Security Forces, in the coming days,” the statement said.

The Qayyarah base is located around 60 km south of Mosul.

A Nineveh Police Command source told the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) that the American forces have handed over the base, during a ceremony, to the Iraqi forces and announced their full withdrawal from the base.

Speaking at the ceremony, Iraq's Staff Major General Mohammad Fadhel said: "The withdrawal will be complete and the entire base will be handed over to the air force command.”

There will be other pullouts from other areas in Iraq, he said.

The withdrawal came one week after the US-led coalition handed over the al-Qaim military base, on the Syrian border, to the ISF.

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Adnan Al-Zurfi has reassured the UN Security Council’s permanent member states (P-5) that his country would adopt a balanced foreign policy.

Political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Zurfi’s comments came during a meeting with ambassadors of the P-5 in his attempt to contain any possible sanctions on Iraq.

On Thursday, Zurfi wrote on his Twitter account that Iraq will adopt an external policy based on the principle of (Iraq First) and distance itself from regional and international conflicts.

He added that the government will set Iraq’s interests as a top priority in its foreign policy.