Iraq Government Wants Continuing US Presence – US General

The US Middle East commander said Thursday that troops
in Iraq will be cut to 2,500 on President Donald Trump’s order, but
that Baghdad wants a continued US presence to fight the Islamic
State group.

Central Command Commander General Kenneth McKenzie told a
conference that the continuing US presence has successfully limited
the activities of Iran and the Islamic State.

Iran has recently curtailed attacks, McKenzie said, “based on
the hope that we would be asked to leave Iraq through the
government of Iraq’s political processes.”

However, he said, “the government of Iraq has clearly indicated
it wants to maintain its partnership with the United States and
coalition forces as we continue to finish the fight against
ISIS.”

Speaking to an online conference held by the National Council on
US-Arab Relations, McKenzie cited estimates that the Islamic State
still has a body of 10,000 supporters in the Iraq-Syria region and
remains a real threat.

“The progress of the Iraqi Security Forces has allowed has
allowed the United States to reduce force posture in Iraq,” he
said.

But US and coalition forces have to be there to help prevent
Islamic State from reconstituting as a cohesive group able to plot
major attacks, he said.

“When you’re running for your life up and down the Euphrates
River Valley, listening to the noise of an armed MQ-9 drone
overhead, it’s hard to think about conducting attack planning
against Detroit.”

McKenzie said the US presence and measured retaliations had also
successfully deterred Iran from persisting in attacks on Gulf
shipping and limited its proxy attacks in Iraq.

“Today I believe Iran has been largely deterred because the
regime now understands we possess both the capability and the will
to respond,” he said.

AFP

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