MALCOM LUMUMBA
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- Jul 26, 2012
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General Mark Milley, the US’s top military official, denied that America is pulling troops out of Iraq, saying that a leaked letter by the commander of US forces in the country indicating preparations for withdrawal was a “draft” and a “mistake”.
In an afternoon of confusion at the Pentagon, Gen Milley told reporters on Monday that the unsigned letter, which was obtained and posted online by news agencies, should never have been revealed.
“That letter is a draft, it was a mistake, it was unsigned, it should not have been released . . . poorly worded, implies withdrawal, that is not what’s happening,” the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said.
Mark Esper, the US defence secretary, also said that reports of a possible US troop withdrawal from the country were inaccurate. “There’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq”, he said.
Alyssa Farah, Pentagon spokesperson, added that the US continued “to consult with the Iraqi government” but that there had been no change in US policy with regard to force presence in Iraq.
The fate of US forces in Iraq has come into sharp focus a day after the country’s lawmakers voted in favour of removing foreign forces from Iraqi territory, a move triggered by the US’s killing of a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad last week.
US allies were caught off-guard by reports that the US was withdrawing and scrambled for information from Washington. State department officials have insisted the US wants to stay in Iraq to avoid ceding further influence to Iran in the country and continue to fight against Isis.
The letter in question was sent by William Seely, the Iraq task force commanding officer, to an official in the Iraqi defence ministry. It said the coalition would be “repositioning forces” in the coming days and weeks “to prepare for onward movement”.
The letter also hinted that the US understood the Iraqi government’s wish for foreign troop withdrawal, concluding: “We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure.”
Donald Trump had responded to the non-binding parliamentary vote by threatening Iraq with sanctions if it forced out American troops.
Yet in a meeting with Matthew Tueller, the US ambassador to Baghdad, on Monday Adel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq’s caretaker prime minister, wasted no time in pressing the US to begin pulling out.
Source: The Financial Times
In an afternoon of confusion at the Pentagon, Gen Milley told reporters on Monday that the unsigned letter, which was obtained and posted online by news agencies, should never have been revealed.
“That letter is a draft, it was a mistake, it was unsigned, it should not have been released . . . poorly worded, implies withdrawal, that is not what’s happening,” the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said.
Mark Esper, the US defence secretary, also said that reports of a possible US troop withdrawal from the country were inaccurate. “There’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq”, he said.
Alyssa Farah, Pentagon spokesperson, added that the US continued “to consult with the Iraqi government” but that there had been no change in US policy with regard to force presence in Iraq.
The fate of US forces in Iraq has come into sharp focus a day after the country’s lawmakers voted in favour of removing foreign forces from Iraqi territory, a move triggered by the US’s killing of a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad last week.
US allies were caught off-guard by reports that the US was withdrawing and scrambled for information from Washington. State department officials have insisted the US wants to stay in Iraq to avoid ceding further influence to Iran in the country and continue to fight against Isis.
The letter in question was sent by William Seely, the Iraq task force commanding officer, to an official in the Iraqi defence ministry. It said the coalition would be “repositioning forces” in the coming days and weeks “to prepare for onward movement”.
The letter also hinted that the US understood the Iraqi government’s wish for foreign troop withdrawal, concluding: “We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure.”
Donald Trump had responded to the non-binding parliamentary vote by threatening Iraq with sanctions if it forced out American troops.
Yet in a meeting with Matthew Tueller, the US ambassador to Baghdad, on Monday Adel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq’s caretaker prime minister, wasted no time in pressing the US to begin pulling out.
Source: The Financial Times