Page 10 - MEOG Week 07

MEOG PoLICy MEOG
Following the formal US handover to Iraqi forces in November 2011, ending the eight-year occupation, the US military has relied on dip- lomatic notes inviting soldiers into the country and offering them immunity from prosecution. The notes themselves, which were sent in 2014, have never been published.
January’s Iraqi parliamentary vote was advi- sory and non-binding, and the incoming prime minister, Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, has yet to navigate his way around the issue. Allawi is supported by Tehran and influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The premier is work- ing towards US withdrawal from Iraq, which would likely lead to stronger ties with Tehran and Damascus at the expense of Washington and its regional allies. Although not popular with anti-government protestors, Allawi has pledged to work with the UN to implement their demands.
James Jeffrey, US special envoy to the coali- tion fighting IS, has insisted that the agreement to station US forces in Iraq was between Wash- ington and the Baghdad government, not the parliament.
however, in frequent meetings between Jef- frey and his Iraqi counterparts, the now departed Abdul Mahdi made clear to the US how vulnera- ble their forces were to the powerful Shia militia in the country. The pressure on US forces to pull back remains intense
The US State Department has refused to comment on the Amman meeting. Sources said they would not comment on private diplomatic discussions.
France, Germany and Australia are also reported to have submitted requests to the joint special operations command to set up the with- drawal of their own forces from the country, the chair of the Iraqi parliamentary defence commit- tee, Badr Al-Ziyadi, is reported to have said.
“The next government is responsible for set- ting a timetable, whether for the exit of foreign forces or the presence of military bases in some areas, especially in the Kurdistan region,” added Al-Ziyadi. “There is no movement or sorties of the coalition forces at the moment.”
Former Pm condemns Iran’s interference
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi
has condemned Iran for its repeated trangressing of “red lines” in Iraq by interfering in the forma- tion of the upcoming government headed by Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi. “Once again, Iran crosses the red lines, and proves its interference in Iraqi affairs by challenging the will of the Ira- qis,” said Allawi in a statement.
he added that this interference came from Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior adviser to the Supreme Leader in international affairs, by affirming that “the Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi will gain trust, and that the axis (Tehran – Baghdad – Damascus – Beirut – Pal- estine) will be one axis to expel the Americans and their allies.”
Allawi continued: “While we condemn this blatant interference in Iraqi affairs, we warn Iran that it will not be able to achieve its aspirations of expansion in the Arab region, including Iraq, and this is far beyond its size and aspirations.”
he added that “the principles of neighbour- hood require the respect of neighbouring coun- tries and non-interference in their affairs, which is what we wish from Iran and other countries.”
Also on February 16, multiple rockets hit near the US embassy in Iraq’s capital, an US mil- itary source said, the latest in a flurry of attacks against US assets in the country.
The assault sent warnings across the diplo- matic compound but it was unclear what was hit and how many rockets had made any impact, the US source and a Western diplomat based nearby said. There were no casualties and only minor damage was suffered.
It was the 19th attack since October to have targeted either the embassy or the roughly 5,200 US troops stationed alongside local forces across Iraq.
The attacks are never claimed but the US has pointed the finger at Iran-backed groups within the hashed al-Shaabi, a military network officially incorporated into Iraq’s state security forces.
Sunday’s attack came just hours after one of the hashed’s Iran-backed factions, harakat al-Nujaba, announced a “countdown” to ousting American forces from the country. he tweeted a photograph of what he claimed was an American military vehicle, adding: “We are closer than you think.”™
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w w w. N E W S B A S E . c o m Week 07 19•February•2020