Iraqi Military Says US Forces Withdrawing From Syria Have No Approval to Stay

By Staff, Agencies

US forces that crossed into Iraq as part of a pull-out from Syria do not have permission to stay in the country and can only be there in transit, the Iraqi military stressed on Tuesday.

The Iraqi statement contradicts the Pentagon’s claim that all of the nearly 1,000 troops withdrawing from northern Syria are expected to move to western Iraq “to help defend Iraq”.

A senior US military official later clarified that the situation was still fluid and plans could change.

“All US forces that withdrew from Syria received approval to enter the Kurdistan Region so that they may be transported outside Iraq. There is no permission granted for these forces to stay inside Iraq,” the Iraqi military said in a statement.

It is unclear whether the US troops will use Iraq as a base to launch ground raids into Syria or carry out air strikes against Daesh [the Arabic acronym for Takfiri ‘ISIS/ISIL’ group] terrorists.

The additional US troops would add to the more than 5,000 American troops already based in the country.