Kurdish analyst says U.S. presence in Kurdistan Region remains unchanged
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Kurdish political analyst and writer Kifah Mahmoud said on Saturday that there has been a misunderstanding regarding the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, stressing that there has been no change in the American presence in the Kurdistan Region.
Speaking to North Press, Mahmoud said the forces currently leaving the vicinity of Erbil International Airport are the same units that had previously withdrawn from Iraq’s Ain al-Assad base and several other military sites in central Baghdad months ago.
He explained that the troop movements are part of arrangements carried out in accordance with the strategic agreement between the Iraqi federal government and Washington.
“The forces that remain are mainly technicians, experts and trainers assigned by the U.S. administration to train Iraqi forces, including the Peshmerga,” Mahmoud said.
The Kurdish researcher, who is based in Erbil, added that the U.S. Consulate in the Kurdistan Region is the largest American diplomatic mission in the world and requires security personnel provided by U.S. forces.
“There is no change in the U.S. presence in the Kurdistan Region, and this presence exists through an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government and in coordination with the federal government in Baghdad,” he noted.
Mahmoud’s comments came a day after Al-Monitor reported that the U.S. military had begun withdrawing forces stationed near Erbil International Airport as part of a broader drawdown ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline agreed upon by Baghdad and Washington.
According to the report, Patriot air defense systems previously deployed at the U.S. military compound near Erbil airport have already been removed. Sources cited by Al-Monitor said the systems, used to intercept missiles and drones, were redeployed to an undisclosed location.
The report fueled concerns over the future of the U.S. military presence in the Kurdistan Region amid escalating regional tensions and repeated attacks targeting military facilities in Iraq.
However, Mahmoud insisted that the withdrawal does not indicate a broader change in Washington’s commitment to the Kurdistan Region or its security cooperation with Iraqi and Kurdish forces.