Politico: Iraqi Prime Minister's Request for U.S. Troop Withdrawal Had 'Domestic Consumption'; Sudani Calls for Continued U.S. Presence

Iraqi Prime Minister has privately signaled to U.S. officials that he wants American troops to remain in the country, despite having previously announced an 'action to begin the process of withdrawing the U.S.-led military coalition from Iraq'; a news that Politico claims is primarily for domestic consumption. According to a January 6 telegram from the U.S. State Department, a copy of which was obtained by Politico, advisors to Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani, the Iraqi Prime Minister, told U.S. officials that his statements were 'to satisfy domestic political audiences' and that Sudani considers himself 'committed' to discussing the future presence of the coalition in Iraq. Meanwhile, following a U.S. drone strike that resulted in the death of a senior member of an Iranian-affiliated militia in Baghdad, Sudani's office announced on Friday that his government is forming a bilateral committee to end the presence of international forces led by the United States. While Iraq's desire to retain U.S. forces in the country is vital for the Biden administration, the U.S. views its presence in Iraq as crucial not only to prevent the resurgence of ISIS but also to counter the influence of the Islamic Republic in the region. Although the military coalition's current focus in Iraq is on preventing the resurgence of ISIS, any decision by Sudani to expel U.S. forces could undermine the Biden administration's efforts to 'prevent the escalation of war in Gaza.' While Sudani's advisors have indicated to U.S. officials that Iraq is willing to discuss the retention of U.S. forces, there is also the possibility that internal machinations in the Iraqi parliament could force him to take actions to expel U.S. troops. Earlier, U.S. Defense Department spokesperson General Patrick Ryder stated in a press conference, 'At this time, I am not aware of any plans to plan for a withdrawal. We remain focused on defeating the ISIS mission.' The Pentagon spokesperson also mentioned that he was unaware of any announcement from Baghdad to the U.S. Defense Department regarding a decision to withdraw U.S. forces and referred reporters to the U.S. State Department for any information on diplomatic discussions in this regard. As Sudani's office announced that a committee would be formed to 'provide measures to end the presence of international coalition forces in Iraq permanently,' the U.S. stated that 'American forces are present in the country at the invitation of the Iraqi government.' This is not the first time the Iraqi government has claimed it would expel U.S. forces. In January 2020, in response to the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the Iraqi parliament voted on a resolution to end the U.S. military presence in Iraq; a law that was never implemented. The United States has 900 soldiers in Syria and 2,500 soldiers in Iraq to prevent the resurgence of ISIS. Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza to destroy this group, U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted by at least 100 drone and missile attacks from Iranian-affiliated Shiite militias. Groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic, while supporting the terrorist actions of Palestinian militants, oppose the Israeli invasion of Gaza and hold the U.S. responsible as well. In recent weeks, the United States has repeatedly warned the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces that any attempts to expand the Gaza conflict into the region will be met with a decisive response from Washington and its allies.