Ambassador: US does not intend to maintain permanent military presence in Iraq

The US ambassador to Iraq, Matthew H. Tueller, said yesterday that his country does not intend to maintain a permanent military presence in Iraq, adding that there are a lot of misunderstandings concerning the relationship between the international coalition against Daesh led by the United States and the Iraqi government.

Tueller told reporters in Baghdad that the international coalition and Iraq have achieved a lot in the war against Daesh over the past five years, saying: “We always hear from the Iraqi partners that the partnership with America must continue.”

However, he explained that some extremist voices in Iraq have gone so far as calling for launching missiles against the American military and diplomatic presence which does not represent the Iraqi people or the interests of Iraq.

There are about 5,000 American soldiers stationed in Iraq as part of the international coalition comprising nearly 60 countries that are battling against Daesh.

READ: US expected to reduce troops in Iraq by a third to about 3,500

The frequency of missile attacks against US diplomats and soldiers has increased since the assassination of Iranian Quds Force Commander, Qassem Soleimani, in an American drone strike near Baghdad in January.

As a result of the US aggression, Iraq’s parliament voted to remove all foreign military from the country.