Iraq: American troops leaving Syria cannot stay in Iraq
Category: News & Politics
Via: sister-mary-agnes-ample-bottom • 5 years ago • 51 commentsBAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. troops leaving Syria and heading to neighboring Iraq do not have permission to stay in the country, Iraq's military said Tuesday.
The statement appears to contradict U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who has said that under the current plan, all U.S. troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq and the military would continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence in the region.
Speaking to reporters traveling with him to the Middle East, Esper did not rule out the idea that U.S. forces would conduct counterterrorism missions from Iraq into Syria. But he said those details will be worked out over time.
His comments were the first to specifically lay out where American troops will go as they leave Syria and what the counter-IS fight could look like. Esper said he has spoken to his Iraqi counterpart about the plan to shift the estimated 1,000 troops leaving Syria into western Iraq.
The statement by the Iraqi military, however, said that all American troops that withdrew from Syria have permission to enter northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, and then from there to be relocated out of Iraq.
"These forces do not have any approval to remain in Iraq," it said. The statement did not specify a time limit for how long the troops can stay there.
President Donald Trump ordered the bulk of U.S. troops in Syria to withdraw after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear in a phone call that his forces were about to invade Syria to push back Syrian Kurdish fighters whom Turkey considers terrorists.
The pullout largely abandons the Syrian Kurdish allies who have fought the Islamic State group alongside U.S. troops for several years. Between 200 and 300 U.S. troops will remain at the southern Syrian outpost of Al-Tanf.
Meanwhile, U.S. troops continued to pull out of northern Syria after Turkey's invasion into the border region. Reports of sporadic clashes have continued between Turkish-backed fighters and the U.S.-allied Syria Kurdish forces despite a five-day cease-fire agreement hammered out on Thursday between U.S. and Turkish leaders. The cease-fire expires Tuesday night.
Esper has said the troops going into Iraq will have two missions.
"One is to help defend Iraq and two is to perform a counter-ISIS mission as we sort through the next steps," he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group. "Things could change between now and whenever we complete the withdrawal, but that's the game plan right now."
The U.S. currently has more than 5,000 American forces in Iraq, under an agreement between the two countries. The U.S. pulled its troops out of Iraq in 2011 when combat operations there ended, but they went back in after IS began to take over large swaths of the country in 2014.
The number of American forces in Iraq has remained small due to political sensitivities in the country, after years of what some Iraqis consider U.S. occupation during the war that began in 2003.
How much do we have to take before conservatives get it? Get Trump out of office NOW. Today. Before lunch. Better yet, before breakfast.
They don't want to care. They just want to blow everything up foreign and domestic, to hell with what comes next.
It's no longer just embarrassing to have a person of Trump's...caliber...at the helm of this country. It's heartbreaking.
Oh please.....spare us your heartbroken faux sobs. .
Thank you for your advice. I'll give it the consideration it is due.
Yeah, now, Greg and his Neocon buddies want us out of Iraq...but where the hell were their voices 16 years ago when Bush Jr invaded Iraq?
I didn't know that the booze hag Hillaryious Hillary was Gregs buddy but she was pretty much all for it.
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CDS... seek help.
And remember how much they cried when Obama pulled our troops out of Iraq? Hypocrites.
Yeah. But Obama didn't go far enough. He should have pulled all of our troops out of Iraq AND Afghanistan and never stepped foot in Syria.
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Why?
The left having rampant TDDS is no reason to remove Trump.
If you think you are going to be immune from the fallout of Trump's ignorance and foolishness, you are mistaken.
It's already happening. It's not just the Kurds who have lost faith in the US, but the rest of our allies have, too. Screw your friends over, and what do you have? Not much.
BTW, what do you think Putin and Erdogan are discussing in their face-to-face meeting this morning?
Probably just grandchildren or something of that nature.
Pooty and his fellow dictator are probably talking about their grandchildren and favorite foods.
Now the parties that actually reside in the region get to control their countries.
It's time for the US Neo-cons to quit starting regime change wars.
But, but, but tRump's supporters cling to his ignorance and foolishness.
That's a relief. I thought perhaps they were celebrating their leg over Trump by watching the pee video just one more time.
Holy shit, you're right. I forgot they had some ethnic cleansing to finish.
The Joy Of Playing Trump.
As ISIS regains its lost strength they will accelerate their recruitment of naive westerners-- which means more domestic attacks by home grown terrorists recruited online by ISIS propaganda.
The message is clear. Get all US troops and "advisors" out of those shithole countries. Trump is doing the right thing. He's doing what he said he would do.
Yep, he's trying to protect his personal interests in the region's oil reserves. I didn't realize you were aware of that.
This get's more ludicrous by the hour.
I know. In addition, with Putin and Erdogan meeting as we speak, it's not unreasonable to conclude that we might all end up going down with the ship.
Thank you Iraq.
1) For proving you are not and never will be a US ally. Maybe now we can pull all US forces from the country and let reality take hold. No going back in and saving the government loyal to Iran for a second damn time. No retraining, rearming, and providing logistical support for the Iraqi military for a third time.
2) For making sure that US troops removed from Syria cannot stay in Iraq either. Your country is a piece of shit. Your government is a piece of shit. You will be fighting another civil war before too much longer as you treat your people like shit. Don't call us. Beg your Iranian masters for help next time. They have an air force. You already have Iranian militias floating around your country. Put the bill where it belongs to save your sorry hides, with Iran.
3) For proving both Bush Jr and Obama were complete foreign policy simpletons. Not that we needed more proof.
And thank-you, Ronin, for stating what needed to be stated.
Now we can add Trump to the list since he wanted to add 1,000 more troops to the 5,000 plus there now.
Oh, and the latest is the Trump is going to leave a ''small number'' of US troops in Syria to guard the oil fields.
Send our Troops back to the fighting Mr. Trump. They deserve at least that much Mr. Trump.
Looks to me like there are a lot of trolls who don't know the difference between a "war hawk" and protecting our allies.
or a neo-con Chickenhawk like our Bone-Spur challenged president!
neo-con Chickenhawk like our Bone-Spur challenged president!
Chickenhawk (definition):
Chickenhawk (politics) , a person who supports war yet actively avoided military service when of age.
Perfect description of our mentall challenged president. Claims he's going to end the endless wars by removing troops out of harms way pulling them out of Syria. (But in actuality he's moving them into an even more deadly place-- Iraq!).
What a total nutcase!
And he keeps selling more and more advanced weapons-- and deplying more and more troops to Saudi Arabuia!
A classic Chickhawk if there ever was one!