Iraqi-US military committee to reconvene, plotting the end of Coalition mission
Shafaq News/ The spokesperson for the Iraqi Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Yahya Rasool, announced the Iraqi-US High Military Committee (HMC) would resume its meetings on Sunday to discuss the conclusion of the Global Coalition's presence in Iraq.
In a brief statement, Rasool revealed plans for the Supreme Bilateral Military Technical Committee between Iraq and the United States to reconvene on February 11 "to deliberate and finalize the timetable for concluding the international Coalition's mission in Iraq."
In parallel, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Following a directive from the Prime Minister (Mohammed Shia A-Sudani), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs engaged with the American side to resume dialogue. Both parties have agreed to continue negotiations under the auspices of the Supreme Joint Military Committee."
Last January, the Iraqi Prime Minister sponsored the commencement of the first round of dialogue between the two countries to end the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq.
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Secretary of Defense revealed in separate statements that the U.S. and Iraqi officials will start working group meetings of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission in the coming days as part of a planned process both countries committed to last August.
The U.S. confirmed that the dialogue is not connected to recent tensions with Iranian-backed groups.
"Expert working groups of military and defense professionals will examine the threat from ISIS, operational and environmental requirements, and the Iraqi security forces' capability levels."
Notably, in January 2020, the Iraqi parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling for the government to end the presence of all foreign troops.
Currently, there are 2500 US troops in Iraq for advisory and training missions upon the demand of the Iraqi government.
After the recent U.S. attacks on the Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters in al-Anbar that killed 17 members and the targeting of a vehicle in Baghdad, assassinating the Hezbollah Brigades's top commander Abu Baqir, many Iraqi officials and politicians voiced concerns over a possible escalation in the region stressing their call for an immediate and total ending of the Global Coalition presence in Iraq.
