Al-Bandawi: Iraq is moving towards full sovereignty with America’s commitment to withdraw its forces
Al-Bandawi: Iraq is moving towards full sovereignty with America’s commitment to withdraw its forces
2024/11/16
Member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, Ali Al Bandawi, said that Iraq is taking steps towards full sovereignty with the commitment of the United States of America to withdraw its forces.
Al-Bandawi told {Euphrates News} that: “Regarding the agreement between Iraq and America on the withdrawal of international coalition forces from Iraq, the agreement was made between Iraq and America and the Iraqi government is committed to this agreement and a series of dialogues and meetings were held.”
He pointed out that “the United States and the new American president are supposed to complete the agreements, especially since there is a need to go in the economic direction instead of the military or war direction.”
Al-Bandawi added that “Iraq’s continuation of these dialogues with the American side will lead to a final agreement and the agreement is binding on the administration of the two countries,” noting that “the speech of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, confirmed that it is binding because a joint high technical committee is completing the remaining final arrangements for the withdrawal of American and international forces from Iraq.”
Iraqi officials said in statements last September that there is an agreement with a clear time frame between Washington and Baghdad on the issue, but Washington has remained largely silent.
Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi also confirmed two months ago that an agreement had been reached on the withdrawal of coalition forces over two years and transforming the relationship into a sustainable security partnership.
He said in a previous interview that “it was agreed to end the coalition’s mission in two phases, the first phase begins this year and continues until 2025, while the second phase ends in 2026.”
It is noteworthy that approximately 2,500 American soldiers are still present in Iraq as part of the international coalition, under a training and advisory mission and to assist Iraqi forces, after their numbers were reduced following the defeat of ISIS from the country in 2017.
alforatnews.iq
