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Jun 19, 2023

Washington: US Military Movements Are not Linked to the Iraqi Interior

United States Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski denied any possible action after news circulating about large-scale movements that US forces have been making in Iraq in recent weeks. The US official

United States Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski denied any possible action after news circulating about large-scale movements that US forces have been making in Iraq in recent weeks.

The US official made the remarks on Wednesday following a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at the Iraqi ministry’s headquarters.

These movements were part of the exchange of existing forces, Romanowski said, denying that these military movements are linked to Iraq’s internal affairs.

The US ambassador stressed the US government's keenness to continue cooperation and development of common interests with Iraq.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Wednesday that the two officials discussed the overall Iraqi-American relations, and ways to enhance joint cooperation in the economic and development fields, in light of the strategic framework agreement, and in a way that benefits the interests of the two friendly countries.

The meeting also discussed the Al-Hol camp in Syria and the problems that face the transfer of some families from the camp to Iraq.

Earlier, Khalid Al-Yaqoubi, the security affairs advisor to the premier, refuted claims about a US troop buildup in Iraq.

However, in statements to the official Iraqi News Agency, he affirmed that “there is a rotation of American units present in Syria.”

Iraq has witnessed nearly daily reports, images, and videos showing significant American military activity in the country.

Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement on Thursday saying that the movement of the American occupation military convoys in some Iraqi cities is evidence of the enemy’s intransigence to keep its forces in the country.

It added that if the resistance decided to fight then it would smack their malicious plots for the region.

Dr. Ihsan Al-Shammari, head of the Iraqi Political Thinking Center in Baghdad, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the talk about these movements is linked to several factors.

Among these factors is the link between these rumors and the recent escalation between armed factions and the American forces, in addition to the US forces' movements and repositioning on the Iraqi-Syrian geographical level in order to tighten the grip on the armed militias.

The talk about military build-up is linked to the Iraqi’s frustration with the political parties and forces and the current authority’s equation as well as the corruption and mismanagement resulting from it.

These factors contributed to suggesting that an American military intervention in Iraq is likely.

“I personally don’t rule out that the forces respond in case their interests were jeopardized in Iraq or were targeted by some factions,” added Al-Shammari.