US forces told to leave Iraq as ISIS ‘no longer a threat’
An immediate dialogue between Iraq and the US-led International Coalition to fight ISIS is needed to reach an agreement to end their mission, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani told the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Tension has risen in recent weeks between the US military and Iran-backed Shiite militias, who also operate under a state-run umbrella group, the Popular Mobilisation Forces.
The group has been launching drone and missile attacks against American troops in Iraq almost on a daily basis, with the US retaliating with air strikes that have killed more than a dozen militants.
The Iraqi government has denounced the attacks by the militias as “terrorist acts” and the US strikes as an “infringement to Iraqi sovereignty”.
“Iraq, government and people express utmost respect and appreciation for the international support that contributed, alongside the Iraqi people’s valuable sacrifices, to defeating ISIS,” Mr Al Sudani said on
Thursday. However, the “justifications” for the international presence in Iraq no longer exist, he added.
“Today, according to all testimonies of all experts in Iraq and our friends, ISIS doesn’t pose a threat to the Iraqi state,” Mr Al Sudani said.
The militants are operating as “isolated groups fleeing and hiding in caves, mountains and desert, and are being pursued and eliminated by the [Iraqi] security forces”, he said.
“Ending the International Coalition mission is crucial for Iraq’s security and stability. It is also essential for maintaining constructive bilateral relations between Iraq and member states of the International Coalition. Our friends must understand that this is a clear official and national demand,” he said.
Mr Al Sudani has made similar calls this year.
His government is supported by Iran-backed militias who are opposed to the presence of the US in Iraq. After defeating ISIS in Iraq in 2017, the US reduced the number of its troops from about 5,000 to 2,500, along with other countries from the international coalition.