Pentagon Says Syria Forces to Redeploy to Iraq, Baghdad Says No You Aren’t
Iraq reminds the US its troops withdrawing from Syria have no right to stay
U.S. forces that crossed into Iraq as part of a pull-out from Syria do not have permission to stay and can only be there in transit, the Iraqi military said on Tuesday.
The Iraqi statement contradicts the Pentagon’s announcement that all of the nearly 1,000 troops withdrawing from northern Syria are expected to move to western Iraq to continue the campaign against Islamic State militants and “to help defend Iraq”.
A senior U.S. defense official later clarified that the situation was still fluid and plans could change.
“All U.S. 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 U.S. troops will use Iraq as a base to launch ground raids into Syria and carry out air strikes against Islamic State militants.
The additional U.S. troops would add to the more than 5,000 American troops already based in the country, training Iraqi forces and helping to ensure that Islamic State militants do not make a comeback. [Ie the US is already at, or over, the troops cap Baghdad has authorized.]
Source: Reuters
What is most remarkable is the US government’s breezy assumption that it can just redeploy its troops wherever it likes, and they will be welcomed, in this region the USA has turned upside-down several times over the last couple of decades. They must still be stuck on that dancing-into-the-streets-with-their-arms-full-of-flowers-and-candy thing. You have to admit, it does conjure up a heart-warming image. Why face reality?
Americans grew up with pictures like these and somehow think that this is how their military should be received everywhere! LOL
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bf840ddcf06b3de9e786e3f6949825c49d76c78a10754d7fdb29434229554e86.jpg
another war
…and another opportunity for the media to create the illusion that Americans are coming to save mankind. 😉 lol
The US is the biggest threat to world security bar none!
Ya, think? Always has been!