The agreement signed in July by President Joe Biden and Prime Minister al-Kadhimi comes into force amid a new wave of jihadist attacks in the country

US ends combat missions against Daesh in Iraq

photo_camera PHOTO/AP - U.S. soldiers as bulldozers clear rubble and debris at the Al Asad air base in Anbar, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020

Iraq and the US-led international coalition forces officially ended their combat missions against Daesh on Thursday. This was announced by Iraqi national security adviser Qasim al-Araji on his Twitter account. From now on, the US forces deployed in Iraq will suspend their operations on the ground and will continue to assist, advise and train the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). Areas in which they have been operating since the beginning of 2020.

This follows the agreement signed on 26 July by US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi during the latter's visit to the White House. The leaders set 31 December as the deadline for removing the 2,500 US troops present in Iraq from their combat role, bringing the pact into effect weeks ahead of schedule. In this new scenario, Iraqi personnel will be in charge of protecting the coalition forces, although the latter reserve the right to self-defence.

Sources close to the mission suggest that the terms of the agreement will not fundamentally alter the current situation. Firstly, because coalition forces have not fought the jihadist group on Iraqi soil for almost two years. Moreover, neither side has specified the number of US troops that will remain in Iraq to advise the ISF. These facts suggest that the end of the joint campaign will not result in a complete US withdrawal, as was the case in Afghanistan.

Mustafa al-Kadhimi

"Today we have completed a round of dialogue with the international coalition, which began last year, to officially end the combat mission of the withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq," said al-Araji. In this way, Washington aims to reduce the level of threat to which its forces are exposed. An objective that Biden intends to achieve by offering military training and the transfer of weapons and intelligence information in exchange; the opposite strategy to that used by former President Trump, who unilaterally withdrew 500 troops from the country in 2020. 

Iraq is experiencing a new wave of jihadist violence. The latest attack, allegedly carried out by Daesh, took place on Tuesday in the city of Basra, located in the far south of the country, close to the borders with Kuwait and Iran. A motorbike bomb exploded on the Al Samud bridge, killing at least four people and injuring four others. The previous one occurred on 2 December near Erbil, killing another 10 people. These events were denounced by the State Department.

"Many brave men and women gave their lives to ensure Daesh never returned, and as we complete our combat role, we will remain here to advise, assist and train the ISF, at the invitation of the Republic of Iraq," said Major General John W. Brennan in a statement issued by the joint operations mandate of the Inherent Resolve mission. The campaign, launched in 2014, was part of the global fight against the jihadist threat posed by the rise of Daesh, which has amassed a vast territory between Syria and Iraq of some 88,000 square kilometres.

Manifestación Irak contra Estados Unidos

The latest offensive against the jihadist organisation was carried out on Wednesday in the Anbar region in the west of the country. At least 10 Daesh members were killed during an air offensive, deployed with F-16 fighter jets over a Daesh hideout. A good example of the 'modus operandi' used by Baghdad to eradicate the remnants of the organisation.

"Daesh has fallen, but it is not eliminated," Brennan said. Although the jihadist group suffered a clear defeat in 2017 with the loss of most of the territory it held, it still controls small enclaves on the border between Syria and Iraq. But, above all, it preserves a battery of cells scattered throughout Iraq that continue to perpetrate terrorist attacks. A threat for which the ISF needs air support and intelligence gathering provided by coalition forces.

Some observers suggest that the decision to curtail US action is a response to pressure from certain pro-Iranian groups who favour the withdrawal of US forces. In the last elections, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Islamic Dawa Party, which is close to the Ayatollahs' regime, emerged as the third most voted force. Iran also has influence over the Popular Mobilisation Units, a paramilitary force composed mostly of Shiites that has gained prominence in its fight against Daesh.

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