- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Decisions on Foreign Troops Presence in Iraq Up to Baghdad - US State Dept.

© AP Photo / Burhan OzbiliciTurkish army troops sit in the back of a military truck as they return from northern Iraq, in Cukurca in Hakkari province at the Turkey-Iraq border, Friday, Feb. 29, 2008.
Turkish army troops sit in the back of a military truck as they return from northern Iraq, in Cukurca in Hakkari province at the Turkey-Iraq border, Friday, Feb. 29, 2008. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Allowing foreign troops’ presence in Iraq and its Kurdish region as part of anti-Daesh efforts is a decision for the government in Baghdad to make, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq Joseph Pennington told Sputnik on Thursday.

Abdullah Ahmed walks outside his home that was damaged in a bombing in Fallujah, Iraq. The U.S. and its coalition allies have carried out more than 1,000 strikes in Iraq since its campaign began in August - as well as hundreds more by American and Arab air forces in neighboring Syria. - Sputnik International
US War Crimes: Why Iraqis May Prefer Daesh to American Troops
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — When asked if the United States would support Iranian troops or any other foreign troops in Iraqi Kurdistan or find their presence beneficial, Pennington said that "those decisions are up to the government of Iraq."

Earlier this week, Arabic news channels spread information about alleged participation of high-ranking Iranian military officers in liberation of the Iraqi city of Fallujah, controlled by the Islamic State (IS) terror group, outlawed in Russia.

Pennington also said that the United States encourages the governments of Iraq and Turkey to resolve Ankara’s cross-border military incursions.

"We [the United States] are encouraging Turkey and Iraq to discuss that issue together and arrive at a solution that works for both sides."

In December, Turkey deployed about 150 troops and 25 tanks to a base in the Iraqi Nineveh province, without Baghdad’s approval.

Fighters from the Iraqi pro-government forces watch smoke billow during a military operation against the Islamic State (IS) group near Amriyat al-Fallujah, west of the capital Baghdad in the Anbar province, on May 5, 2016 - Sputnik International
US Ready to Aid Civilians Trapped in Iraq's Fallujah
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Turkey to completely withdraw troops from Iraqi territory.

Turkey said its troops had entered Iraq to protect Turkish instructors deployed at the base earlier to train local militias, fighting against the Islamic State, a terrorist group outlawed in a number of countries worldwide, including the United States and Russia.

Everything that the US and coalition forces do in Iraq is in full coordination and completely transparent with the government, Pennington concluded.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала