Iraq hints at bigger role in Syria after US withdrawal

baghdad — Iraq’s prime minister said on Sunday that top security officials from Baghdad had met Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in Damascus, and hinted at a bigger Iraqi role fighting daesh terrorists as US troops withdraw from Syria.

“This issue has a lot of complications,” Adel Abdul Mahdi told reporters, referring to US President Donald Trump’s shock announcement this month that he will withdraw US forces from Iraq’s neighbour.

“If any negative development takes place in Syria it will affect us. We have a 600km border with Syria and Daesh is there,” Abdul Mahdi said.

The premier said the Iraqi delegation had visited Damascus to “gain the initiative, not just deal with the consequences” of any future Daesh activity emboldened by the US withdrawal. Iraqi news websites said the visit took place on Saturday.

Abdul Mahdi said Iraq sought to move beyond its current arrangement with Syria — under which it launches air strikes against Daesh militants in Syrian territory — but did not got into more details.

“There are groups operating in Syria, and Iraq is the best way to deal with this,” he said, responding to a question about the possibility of increased involvement of Iraqi forces in Syria. Iraqi Shia paramilitary groups backed by Iran already operate inside Syrian territory against Daesh. —