ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said that he received a “signed” letter on Monday indicating that the US planned to withdraw troops from the country.
Abdul-Mahdi's Tuesday remarks contradicted statements from Washington officials who declared that the letter from Brigadier General William H. Seeley III was merely a draft after an unsigned copy was leaked onto social media. The copy that was circulated on social media did not explicitly reference a withdrawal, but did state:
“Sir, in due deference to the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, and as requested by the Iraqi Parliament and the Prime Minister, CJTF-OIR will be repositioning forces over the course of coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement.”
While chairing a cabinet meeting in Baghdad, PM Abdul-Mahdi said, "Yesterday, we received a letter from the American leadership, talking about the withdrawal. After 4-5 hours, they [US] said that there had been a mistake.”
He added that the letter was signed, in contrast to the copy of the letter circulated on social media, which was not signed. However, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper denied later in the day that the “draft” was signed, saying that his country will not withdraw from Iraq.
“Our policy has not changed. We are not leaving Iraq. A draft, an unsigned draft does not constitute a policy change, and there is no signed letter at the best of my knowledge,” Esper told reporters.
Recent attacks against the US forces and mission in Iraq – attributed to the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), locally known as Hashd al-Shaabi – and US retaliatory operations have dragged Iraq into a new phase of instability.
Tensions came to a head last week following a US drone strike which killed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG) Commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi PMF Deputy Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The incidents led to a non-binding resolution by the Iraqi parliament to expel all foreign forces in Iraq.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi, who has resigned from his position due to nationwide protests against the current Iraqi government but has not been replaced yet due to political disagreements, supported parliament’s decision to call for the expulsion of Coalition forces, saying Iraq had no other option.
He said that his country does not need foreign troops to provide security and defend itself, raising the example of 2011, when US troops withdrew after maintaining a presence for eight years following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. There were no foreign troops in Iraq between 2011 and 2014.
“Iraqi has not said that it cannot live without foreign troops. We managed to live without them between 2011 to 2014,” he said, but acknowledged the foreign support in the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) after 2014.
Some US allies have announced that they will withdraw troops from Iraq following the parliament decision. Canada is the latest Coalition partner to announce a troop drawdown.
“In response to the events of late, the CAF, working in collaboration with our international partners, has temporarily paused our efforts in Iraq that fall under Operation IMPACT, and the NATO Mission in Iraq (INMI),” said an open letter to Canadians from General Jonathan Vance, Chief of Canada’s National Defense.
Canada has about 800 “military members” in the region, including 500 in Iraq. The letter indicated that some of those 500 would be moved out of Iraq but did not specify further.
Esper posted a tweet earlier in the day stating that Italy has decided to stay in Iraq.
“I am grateful for D-ISIS Coalition support in Iraq, and made many phone calls to Allies and Partners this week. Italy's decision to maintain forces in Baghdad is important. It demonstrates Italian resolve and a commitment to Iraqi stability,” said Esper, thanking them.
Esper also claimed that there are a great number of Iraqis who support their remaining in Iraq, such as Kurds and Sunnis, referencing the boycott by most Kurdish and Sunni MPs of the emergency legislative session that produced the resolution.
His assertion was also supported by statements in favor of a continued Coalition presence in Iraq made on Wednesday by Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani.
