Withdrawal of U.S. troops would harm Iraqi interests – Analyst

North-Press Agency

Iraqi writer and political analyst Ihsan al-Shammari said the Iraqi parliament's decision to remove the U.S. forces from Iraq could prompt the United States to take measures to pave the way for its withdrawal and to take Iraq as a state against the U.S. interests and and it must be dealt with based on preserving the country's interests. He also stressed that Baghdad does not practically have the authority to prevent Kurdistan Region of receiving the U.S. troops on its territories and that Kurdistan  considers the United States as a strategic ally and guarantor of its rights, and it has large bases within KRG that may turn to it.

Al-Shammari said in an interview with North-Press, that the decision taken by the Iraqi parliament is a recommendation for the next government, because the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi is to conduct business and does not have constitutional powers to conclude or terminate agreements or treaties. He stressed that this decision may be taken by the United States as a position by the highest institution in the political system, that is Parliament is against it, and therefore the United States may be "very concerned" and take measures that could pave the way for the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq and this will place Iraq as a state against the United States. He imagined that the issue would have repercussions, especially if the issue of the withdrawal of the U.S. troops is not dealt with in the manner in which Iraq’s interests can be preserved.

Regarding the receiving of KRG of the U.S. troops, al-Shammari said that he does not imagine that Baghdad has the ability to prevent the KRG from hosting the U.S. troops, especially because the nature of its federal representation contribute greatly to maintaining balances and preserving the government, “There will be no boycott by Baghdad for the KRG and no punitive measures will be taken against it, and it does not have the authority in practice to compel KRG to expel the U.S. troops, so I think that KRG will deal with this individually with the U.S. troops on its territories," he said.

Al-Shammari told North-Press that the Kurds see the United States of America as the guarantor of their rights and consider it as a reliable friend that can be continued, and that their refusal to attend the parliament session and thus not to vote on a a resolution against the United States proves that.

He concluded that “the KRG will continue as a strategic ally of the United States, where it has large bases in the region, where the presence of the U.S. troops will continue to exist, unlike the federal decision taken by the Iraqi parliament," stressing that KRG always takes into account its interests and foreign relations at the expense of the resolutions that it finds them as reactions, so large numbers of the U.S. troops will head into Kurdistan Region.