There are no more American troops in Iraq - after more than 20 years, the US military presence in the country ended today. This was announced by the Pentagon.
The last mission in Iraq began in 2014 with the aim of pushing out the extremists of the “Islamic State“. The German Bundeswehr also joined this task. The field camp in Erbil has already been closed.
Iraq wants to take control into its own hands
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced that October 1 - the day after the withdrawal of coalition forces - will be celebrated as Sovereignty Day. The Prime Minister speaks of a new era: “With the end of the international coalition mission, we are beginning a new stage in relations with our partners: from military cooperation to economic cooperation and cooperation in the field of development policy”.
He goes even further with the demand that there be no other weapons in the country than those of the Iraqi army, stating that the state wants to make decisions about war and peace itself, and that all weapons will now be only in the hands of state institutions.
Influences from militias and powerful neighbors
However, this is still only a wish, comments ARD and explains: numerous well-armed militias operate in Iraq, many of which are in close cooperation with Iran. After the overthrow of the long-time Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Iran was able to expand its influence in the neighboring country. Iran has long demanded a complete withdrawal of US military forces from the Middle East, which is why Tehran explicitly welcomed today's withdrawal of the Americans.
“With the fall of the Iraqi regime, Iraq was handed to the Iranians on a silver platter“, says Jordanian political scientist Amer al-Sabaileh. “The Iranians managed to become the most influential power and even determine how Iraq should be governed.“
The disarmament of the militias is unlikely to become a fact
The leadership in Tehran exerts a double influence: through direct intervention in politics in Baghdad and through support for armed militias. And they do not seem to be particularly interested in handing over their weapons. Iran and its militias see the withdrawal of US troops in the midst of the current war with Iran as a reason to celebrate. Disarming these militias seems unthinkable, the German public media outlet notes.
The Iraqi government faces major challenges, says Alinor Rominoski, the former US ambassador to Iraq. "How will the country react if the militias continue to follow orders from Tehran and attack their neighbours?" she asks. There will be no disarmament of the militias, agrees Iraqi political analyst Sajjad Eyad: "As long as the war between the US, Israel and Iran escalates, these groups will not give up - Iran will not allow itself to lose this trump card." As long as there is no agreement between the US and Iran, it is unlikely that the militias will hand over their weapons.
The deadline for handing over the weapons has now been extended until the summer of next year, and there are fears that if the Iraqi leadership decides to impose its decision on this issue, it could lead to an armed conflict in Iraq.
The Kurds are filled with anxiety
The tensions in Iraq are being felt very clearly. And the Kurds are the ones who are experiencing particularly great anxiety. They have their own autonomous self-government in the northern part of Iraq, which they maintain with their own armed forces. Will the “Peshmerga” fighters now also have to lay down their weapons? And what will this mean for the mission against the “Islamic State” terrorists? (IS), which still maintain their sleeper cells in Iraq?
It is not only the Kurds who fear that after the withdrawal of the Americans, the “Islamic State” could strengthen again. “Since the deadline for the withdrawal of foreign troops was announced, we have observed new movements of IS sleeper cells”, Serwan Barzani, commander-in-chief of the “Peshmerga” fighters, told ARD. He added that he has numerous intelligence reports that prove these claims.