Responsible State: Loopholes in the US troop withdrawal agreement from Iraq keep them there for a long time
Responsible State: Loopholes in the US troop withdrawal agreement from Iraq keep them there for a long time
5-22-2025
Al-Maalomah/Translation..
A report by the American newspaper Responsible Statecraft confirmed on Thursday that despite the Iraqi government and parliament’s demands for the withdrawal of US and coalition forces from the country, and the latter’s approval, there are loopholes in the agreement that allow them to remain in Iraq indefinitely.
The report, translated by Al-Maalomah Agency, stated that “Although the Coalition Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, the 30-nation force formed in 2014, finally agreed to end its mission and disband its headquarters in September 2025, but more importantly, this does not completely end all foreign military presence in Iraq. One clause of the agreement allows military operations to continue in Syria from an unspecified location until September 2026, in addition to another clause calling for bilateral security partnerships that support Iraqi forces and maintain pressure on ISIS,” according to American allegations.
He added, “On these two items – the continuation of operations against ISIS in Syria from an unspecified location (most likely northern Iraq/Kurdistan) and bilateral security partnerships within the country – there are significant disagreements within Iraq, while some Shiite political and religious factions continue to push for a complete and immediate withdrawal, as do Iraqi resistance factions.”
He continued, “According to Dhiaa al-Asadi, a former Minister of State and former parliamentarian, “the presence of any foreign military forces has never been a source of stability. Even if there are existential challenges that still threaten Iraq’s stability, confronting them requires national unity, regional and international cooperation and solidarity, and non-violation of international laws and state sovereignty.” He added, “For these and other reasons, most Shiite forces insist on the withdrawal of US forces as soon as possible.”
He pointed out that “unless all foreign forces withdraw from Iraq completely and unconditionally, any negotiations will be affected by their presence. Therefore, all pretexts and excuses used to justify their presence lack a solid foundation. The starting point should be solely the ‘Iraqi national interest’ from a purely and genuinely Iraqi perspective—not a sectarian, ethnic, or partisan one.”
The report emphasized that “eleven years later, few argue that ISIS represents an existential threat to Iraq. Its defeat was declared in 2017, and the main focus is on ‘rogue elements’ and ‘sleeper cells.'” The remaining forces in Iraq were rearmed and rebuilt by the Iraqi security forces.
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