Iraq-US strategic dialogue divides anti-US groups in Iraq
The recent strategic dialogue talks between Iraq and the United States have divided anti-US groups in Iraq, as some welcome the results of the dialogue and others reject it and ask for full US withdrawal from Iraq.
After a series of talks between Iraq and the United States, the two parties agreed during Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's visit to the United States to end the presence of US combat forces in Iraq by Dec. 31, 2021, at which time “the security relationship will fully transition to a training, advising, assisting, and intelligence-sharing role,” according to the July 26 joint statement on the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue.
Upon his return to Baghdad from Washington, Kadhimi was welcomed by various political and security figures — including the head of Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Falih Fayyadh — in a sign that the results of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States have been widely accepted by different Iraqi groups.
During strategic dialogue meetings in late 2020, the United States decided to decrease its combat troops to 2,500. It is expected to initiate another withdrawal by the end of this year, leaving only the noncombat personnel to continue assisting in training and logistics support to the Iraqi security forces.
While the majority of Iraq's political parties welcomed the results of the strategic dialogue, the militias have not approved the outcome and some of them threatened to continue attacking US personnel in Iraq until all US forces — whether combat or noncombat personnel including trainers, advisers and others — leave the country.
