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Iraq Wants US-Led Coalition To Leave

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

DAVOS/BAGHDAD (Worthy News) – Iraq’s prime minister reiterated Thursday that the current U.S.-led military coalition helping his nation fight Islamic State militants should leave after he earlier expressed outrage about a U.S. airstrike in his nation.

Yet in comments published by the Wall Street Journal newspaper, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani appeared less tough than previously, saying he wants strong ties with Washington.

Nor did Sudani close the door to a role for U.S. troops advising Iraqi forces to remain in the country under a new bilateral relationship that he stressed should follow.

However, in general, “We believe the justifications for the international coalition have ended,” he explained.

He spoke on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering in Davos, Switzerland, while the war in Gaza overshadows Iraqi relations with the United States.

In remarks earlier monitored by Worthy News, Sudani expressed outrage about a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad, the capital, that killed a high-ranking member of the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) of Iran-backed militias.

However, the U.S. defended the attack, saying Abu Taqwa, who led the PMF-affiliated Harakat al-Nujaba group, was targeted because he was actively involved in attacks on U.S. personnel.

‘SELF-DEFENSE STRIKE’

“The strike also killed one other Harakat al Nujaba member,” said Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, describing it as a self-defense strike at the time, adding that no civilians were killed.

Iranian-backed militias have carried out more than 100 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria since the start of the Israel-Hamas war more than two months ago, the U.S. military says.

However, on Thursday, he called the January 4 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad a “clear violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”

U.S. officials reportedly said that some changes to the international coalition, which includes about 900 troops from two dozen countries along with a contingent of 2,500 American troops, would be reasonable.

But they warned that a premature withdrawal of American and other troops would increase instability in the Middle East and allow a comeback for Iran-backed terror groups as well as Islamic State.

Sudani didn’t set a deadline for the departure of the coalition, which was formed in 2014, but he made clear the operation should end.