The rise in Iraqi militant attacks over the past month and media pressure from within the United States have left the Biden administration with only one choice: a military withdrawal from Iraq.
Severe Shock
News sources in the Iraqi Kurdistan region have confirmed a rocket attack on Erbil airport. The sources stressed that the American military base in Erbil airport was targeted. Hours later, regional news indicated that the attack had been carried out with 20 rockets and three UAVs. The Pentagon told Al Jazeera that it had received reports of a rocket attack on Erbil airport, but did not comment further.
Although Wayne Marotto, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, after the operation said in a statement that the attack did not cause any casualties, this claim has not been accepted by many media outlets and analysts.
Gen Richard Bell, the deputy commander-in-chief of the US coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, met with the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, on Wednesday to discuss the situation in the country. Barzani’s office said in a statement that the need for Iraqi Kurdistan to counter terrorist threats in coordination with the international coalition forces was stressed at the meeting.
The Iraqi militia launched a series of attacks against US targets last week. During the 27 July attack, three missiles hit the US headquarters at the US base in Erbil. Four people, including two high-ranking military personnel, were injured, according to senior US military official, James Herdell. Lt Col James C Willis of the US Army and Col Sharon Asman of the Israeli Army were among the wounded. The injured were immediately taken to Al-Adeed Air Base hospital in Qatar. The next day, only one person survived and the other three lost their lives. The bodies of the victims were then reportedly sent to the capitals of their respective countries.
On 1 July, the funeral of Lt Col James C Willis was held in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to Ever Loved, the high-ranking American official was buried in Santa Fe National Cemetery, which is dedicated to American soldiers. However, the public announcement of his funeral cited natural causes as the reason for his death. On the same day, Israeli Army Colonel Sharon Asman was buried during a funeral procession in the Yona Cemetery in his hometown.
The drone strike on the US base in Erbil was in response to an attack by US forces three days earlier. While the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) declined to comment, observers believe that US military operations on the Iraqi-Syrian border led to the PMF attack.
The death of two high-ranking military officials was a severe blow to the US military presence in the Middle East, which was not covered by the American media. Given the public’s dissatisfaction with their military presence in the region, the incident may provoke strong reactions and public discontent within the United States and Israel.
New Attacks on Ayn al-Asad
Local sources reported the sound of loud explosions at the Ain al-Assad airbase. After the attack, American helicopters flew over the area and US artillery shelled a village in the hit area in the western part of Anbar province. Some civilians were injured in that operation.
The Iraqi army also reported that seven rockets were fired at the Ain al-Asad airbase. Iraqi media reported yesterday a heavy rocket and drone strike on US military bases in Erbil and Anbar. Reuters also reported that loud explosions were heard at the base following the missile attack. According to reports, the air defense of Ain al-Asad base failed to counter the attack, and flames and smoke rose from the base.
A spokesman for US forces in Iraq, however, put the number of rockets fired at 14. Yesterday morning, regional media reported separate attacks on US military bases in Iraq and Syria for the third time in a week. It was also reported that three soldiers were wounded at the US base, but other sources reported that at least five soldiers were wounded, according to preliminary statistics. This might escalate threats against American troops in Ain al-Asad airbase. In connection with the attack on the US military base in Erbil, we can mention the combination of this attack, which used 20 missiles and drones; an initiative taken to further damage the US Missile Defense System (C-RAM).
US Government Military Show
US government media campaigns have gone beyond personal health issues in connection with the death of Lt Col James C Willis. Unconfirmed reports indicate that President Biden personally demanded that information on the PMF operation be classified and that the death of a senior US colonel be reported.
The government also kept members of Congress in the dark about the outcome of US operations in Iraq and Syria. This level of intelligence classification reflects the sensitivity of the issue for US national security and policy in the Middle East. The clash between the Americans and the Iraqi militia comes at a time when the United States is under intense pressure to withdraw its forces from the region. At home, the multibillion-dollar cost of the two-decade war in the Middle East has exhausted people. In addition, dissatisfaction with the growing number of US casualties in the war has increased as attacks on US forces intensify.
On the other hand, the people of Iraq and Syria have also protested against US presence in their countries. Their demand for an immediate withdrawal of troops has been accompanied with legislation in their respective parliaments which will force American troops to leave the country. Biden’s advocacy policy in Iraq and Syria has worsened military conditions over the past six months. The death of a high-ranking colonel may lead to more tensions. The deaths of two high-ranking military officials were a major blow to the US mission in the Middle East, which was not covered by the American media.
Final Word
The United States Has to Terminate its Military Presence in Iraq
The US decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was a strategy that has been more or less approved by various governments. But the will to implement it, as well as the timing, were disputed. By agreeing with the Taliban, Trump finally made that promise, and now the Biden administration is forced to back down in the face of what has been done.
The withdrawal has benefits for the United States, such as strengthening domestic social capital and reducing military spending and casualties. At the same time, there are diplomatic costs, such as accepting the failure to establish their alleged human rights gains and the failure of the idea of ​​”exporting democracy.”
The United States and Iraq have held two rounds of “strategic” talks since the beginning of April this year, after which a joint statement was issued. This is presently in its third stage.
But what received the most attention, laden with more security and political aspects, was the issue of US military withdrawal from Iraq.
This was basically the main issue which prompted the new dialogue between Baghdad and Washington, currently in its third stage. The statement said that with the increased capabilities of the Iraqi forces, the role of US forces will be reduced to training and advising, to eventually allow the remaining troops to be transferred out of Iraq.
Although the Iraqi parliament approved a plan to expel foreign troops from the country in 2020, Washington continues to violate the legislation. US and Iraqi officials have made statements about limiting the mission of foreign forces to training and advising the Iraqi army, but resistance groups based in Iraq have noted the widespread entry of US logistics convoys into the country and the involvement of US troops. The Iraqi military operation emphasises that these actions do not indicate a limited American military mission.
Official statistics show that since the beginning of 2021, US centres and facilities have been targeted by 50 missile and drone attacks. Drone strikes have recently intensified as these are easier to camouflage to evade air defences.
There are 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of a fictitious mission to fight ISIS. Washington, meanwhile, has become a major supporter of ISIS in the region.
Beyond that, US President Joe Biden, who formulated the theory of Iraq’s disintegration in 2006, is now calling for a redefinition of ISIS and other terrorist and Takfiri extremists in Iraq. Biden intends to carry out his sinister strategy in Iraq by creating permanent security crises in the country. However, the militia groups, while intelligently monitoring the US game in Iraq, have not allowed the US troops and its regional allies to expand their presence.
Biden’s advising policy in Iraq and Syria has worsened military conditions over the past six months, and recent deaths during militia attacks may have added to tensions.
