Iraq not notified prior to airstrikes – U.S. Department of State
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The U.S. Department of State spokesperson said on Monday the United States did not inform the Iraqi government prior to conducting airstrikes, contradicting an previous statement by the White House.
State Department principal deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, told reporters, “There was not a pre-notification. We informed the Iraqis immediately after the strikes occurred.”
The Iraqi government “understood that there would be a response after the deaths of our soldiers,” Patel said.
Patel’s statement came contrary to an earlier statement to reporters by the National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby in which he said, “We did inform the Iraqi government prior to the strikes occurring.”
Kirby told Politico on Monday that his comment was inaccurate.
“I responded with information that I had been provided at the time. It was not as specific as it could have been, and I regret any confusion caused,” Kirby said.
On Feb.2, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.
The targeted facilities included command and control operations centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of Iranian-backed militias that facilitated attacks on U.S. and Global Coalition troops, according to CENTCOM’s statement.
The strikes come in response to a drone attack that targeted U.S. Tower 22 base in Jordan near the Syrian border late in January that killed three American troops and injured over 40 others.