Iraqi PM says no need for foreign troops, as US allegedly sends soldiers to Syrian-Iraqi borders

The US army is secretly sending reinforcements to Ayn al-Asad military base aiming to lock the Syrian-Iraqi borders, Iran-backed Shiite militias and politicians claimed, as Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani on Monday said the country does not need foreign combatant troops.  

Amid speculations that the United States army is sending reinforcements to Ayn al-Asad military base to operate along the Syrian-Iraqi borders, Iraqi security forces have been setting up more air defence systems above governmental buildings in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad.

Ayn al-Asad, which hosts US and other forces from the global coalition against the Islamic State, is located in Iraq's western province of Anbar, close to Syria's eastern borders. Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militants have often been accused of smuggling arms from Iran to the Syrian regime and Lebanon's Hezbollah through the Iraq-Syria borders.

"There is confirmed information that ISIS, supported by the US, is doing a resurgence in northern Syria. Meanwhile, there are US reinforcements in Ayn al-Asad military base," Kazim al-Fartusi, the spokesperson of Iran-backed Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada Shia group in Iraq, told iNews Iraqi satellite channel on Sunday.

A senior military and security delegation led by Iraqi defence minister Thabet al-Abbasi visited the US last week and discussed the US-Iraq strategic partnership in combating terrorism, advising the Iraqi security forces and future relations with the Iraqi government.

تحت ذريعة مواجهة الإرهاب تتوالى التعزيزات العسكرية القادمة من (مستعمَرة) عين الأسد للانتشار والتمركز على طول الشريط الحدودي بين العراق وسورية لعزل البلدين الشقيقين عن بعضهما والتهيئة لعدوان اسرائيلي على لبنان .

— عزت الشابندر | Ezzat Alshabandar (@IAlshabandar) August 14, 2023

On Monday, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani said the country does not need foreign combatant troops.

"The US has told the visiting Iraqi delegation to Washington that it will conduct a military operation without the knowledge of the Iraqi security forces and the government. The location of the operation has not been disclosed," he remarked, further arguing that the US told the Iraqis they should prepare large numbers of Iraqi forces to participate in a joint military maneuverer with the US forces in an unidentified location.

He also said that there is no truce between what is called "the Islamic resistance axis" and the US forces.

He added that the US is unwilling to receive Iraq's prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Washington, as they do not want to give complete legitimacy to Sudani's government.  

US troops are reportedly reinforcing forces at the Ayn al-Asad base under the pretext of fighting terrorism. They are deploying forces along the Iraqi-Syrian borders to "separate the two brother states and as a preparation for an Israeli aggression against Lebanon," Iraqi former lawmaker and politician Izzat al-Shabandar wrote on X, the social media network formerly known as Twitter. 

According to information obtained by The New Arab, the reinforcements are within the normal process of replacing troops and are coordinated with partners fighting the Islamic State militants. 

"We have not received anything formal on the issue of alleged US reinforcing troops at Ayn al-Asad base, and what is said is just speech," Sagvan Sindi, the Deputy Head of the Security and Defence Committee in the Iraqi parliament, told The New Arab in a phone call.

He also dismissed claims that the US has asked the Iraqi delegation that Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) should be dissolved. 

Relatedly, Iraqis expressed concerns over video clips circulating on social media platforms depicting the Iraqi security forces setting up anti-aircraft defence systems above public and governmental buildings near Baghdad's International Airport.

Yahya Rasul, Spokesperson for the Iraqi army, described the measures as "normal" for securing key institutions.'

On Monday, the Security and Defence Committee hosted al-Abbasi and members of the delegation that visited Washington.

"The Iraq-US relations related to security and a lot of other issues that the delegation discussed with the Americans were discussed during the meeting," Abas Al-Zamily, head of the Security and Defence Committee, told Iraq's News Agency (INA). "The visit by the security delegation was successful. The delegation did not sign new contracts with the US, but the old contracts, especially related to maintaining F16 fighter jets and Abrams tanks, were discussed."

Last week, Joe Biden's administration reached a first deal with Iran to free five detained Americans in exchange for An estimated US$6 billion in Iranian assets now held in South Korea.

More than 3,000 US military personnel arrived in the Red Sea on 7 August to prevent Iran's seizure of several civilian ships.

Political observers say the US tries to deconflict significant confrontations in the Middle East and pursues the carrot-and-stick policy with Iran and its proxies.