Illustrative image. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
The United States is set to send 1,500 troops to Iraq and Syria, allegedly to join the fight against ISIS, CBS News reported on January 14.
According to the New York-based channel, the troops will be sent from the New Jersey Army National Guard in its largest deployment of soldiers to the area since 2008.
“We have the people we need. We have the training that we need. We have the equipment that we need to fight and win,” Lieutenant Colonel Omar Minott, who is among the 1,500 to be deployed, was quoted by the channel as saying.
The U.S. maintains some 2,500 troops in Iraq, allegedly to train and advise government forces. More than 900 others are deployed in Syria under the pretext of fighting ISIS.
CBS News report came after the Pentagon announced last week that more than 130 attacks had targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17.
Most of the attacks were claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed armed factions which said they were a response to the Israeli war on the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Dozens of U.S. troops were reportedly lightly wounded as a result of the attacks.
Speaking to Iraqi state media on January 16, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, the head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, denied that additional U.S. troops were coming to Iraq.
Maj. Gen. Khafaji stressed that Iraq “does not need any foreign forces, and the presence of the global coalition is limited to providing advice, training, and security information.”
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said earlier this month the Iraqi government “is in the process of setting the date to start working on the bilateral committee to make arrangements to permanently end the presence of the [U.S.-led] international coalition forces in Iraq.”
The decision was taken after a senior commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which is officially recognized by the Iraqi government, was killed in Baghdad by a U.S. drone strike. The U.S. said that the commander was involved in recent attacks on its forces.
The work of the bilateral committee between Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition, which also includes scheduling the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and reconsidering the nature of the relationship in general, is supposed to kick off soon. By deploying more troops, Washington is likely attempting to complicate the talks.
major general tahsin al-khafaji doesn’t understand that their northern area with the kurds are no longer part of iraq. the us set up a puppet state there and can and will do what ever they want! maj. gen. khafaji says the us is there for training only but hasn’t he noticed that the us has been bombing and shelling his people?
except that turkey doesn’t allow the us to use the border there for logistics or support. that means all the aid travels through iraq. if iraq closes it territory to the us and orders their removal, then this “puppet state wouldn’t last long. a reminder that turkey, iraq and iran have all agreed that the entity in northern iraq and syria must be dissolved and returned to the iraqi people not the kurds who in many areas don’t even make up the majority of the population.
the united states will not learn restraint and the idea of national sovereignty until it is defeated militarily.
“to fight isis” yea right, as if isis wasn’t created and directed by the cia
lessons learned = -1000
when the us promised iraqis freedom, it didn’t mean freedom from us.
patriotic iraqis and iranians must escalate their attacks against the zionist pigs. if this continues like this, the puppet government in baghdad will eventually be overthrown for it’s crimes against the nation of iraq and the traitors will be hanged!
to protect the oil fields, troops mean nothing when they are all stuck in their bases and getting fuked 24/7.
also, 1,500 only? what are they going to do? lol – look at ukraine losses.
this is the result of biden’s unconditional support of genocide in gaza. drone and missile warfare have advanced to the point where he is throwing us troops into a slow meat grinder .
didn’t the iraqi government ask us to leave. we need to respect the iraqi government and its people wish. instead of leaving we are sending more.
yankee go home!