Iraq to announce timeframe for the withdrawal of coalition forces

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani yesterday confirmed that there is no need for international coalition forces to remain in the country now Iraqi forces are capable of fighting the remnants of Daesh on their own.

Al-Sudani said in an interview with Bloomberg: “There is no need for the coalition forces to remain [in Iraq],” noting, “The justifications are no longer there.”

“There is no need for a coalition. We have moved on from wars to stability. ISIS [Daesh] is not really representing a challenge,” he added.

About two weeks ago, the US military said its forces and Iraqi forces carried out a joint raid against Daesh elements in western Iraq in late August, killing 14 militants, including senior leaders.

At the time, AP reported that 7 Americans were injured in the operation.

Iraq increases combat readiness to tackle Daesh

In his interview with Bloomberg, Al-Sudani said that the role of Iraqi forces in such raids “showed that they are capable of combating ISIS on their own.”

“They are hunting those people. They are finding them and killing them. This is the victory we achieved. This is proof the security apparatus has reached a level of capability the Americans and Iraqis sought,” he said.

The US has about 2,500 personnel in Iraq, the remnants of an American-led international coalition that it formed and led the battle against Daesh.

Although the organisation is much weaker than it was a decade ago when it controlled major cities and provinces in Iraq and Syria, its fighters are still active in both countries.

The presence of American and other foreign troops in Iraq is a sensitive issue for Baghdad, where many civilians and politicians want them gone. However, some American lawmakers have expressed concern about a complete military withdrawal of their country’s forces from Iraq, saying it could allow Daesh to regroup or allow neighbouring Iran to increase its influence inside Iraq.