Unannounced Visit of Acting U.S. Defense Secretary to Baghdad

Patrick Shanahan, the acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, arrived in Baghdad on an unannounced trip on Tuesday, February 12. Upon his arrival, he emphasized Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity and addressed the future presence of U.S. forces in the country. This visit comes shortly after President Donald Trump stated that maintaining U.S. military forces in Iraq is important for closely monitoring Iran, a remark that angered various politicians in Baghdad. Iraq is currently in a difficult position due to rising tensions between its two key allies, the United States and Iran. According to Reuters, Shanahan told accompanying reporters, 'We have come to this country at the invitation of the Iraqi government, and our interests are aimed at strengthening security capacities in Iraq.' He added, 'I want to hear directly from them about the concerns of officials and the political challenges they face, and we will explicitly include these issues in our planning.' The acting U.S. Secretary of Defense will meet with several Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, and will also discuss the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria with American commanders on the ground. In response to a question about whether U.S. forces stationed in Syria might be transferred to Iraq, Shanahan stated that he would also discuss this matter during his visit. General Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command in the Middle East and North Africa, said on Monday that he believes Washington is not planning to increase its troop numbers in Iraq. Currently, about 5,200 U.S. troops are present in Iraq. U.S. forces have been stationed in Iraq for 16 years since the coalition's invasion of Saddam Hussein's regime. The issue of ISIS in Syria has also been prominent, as Trump recently stated his decision to withdraw all 2,000 American soldiers from Syria, a move that surprised U.S. allies and led to the resignation of former Defense Secretary James Mattis. Last week, Trump also mentioned that he would announce the complete defeat of the remaining ISIS forces in Syria in the coming days. On Tuesday, Shanahan refrained from explaining the timeline for the 'defeat of ISIS' in Syria but emphasized the continuation of all efforts to completely eradicate ISIS. The Islamic State (ISIS) currently controls a small area along the Euphrates in Syria near the Iraqi border. The operations of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are allied with the U.S. in Iraq, are ongoing to drive ISIS out of this region. Shanahan also made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Monday, coinciding with the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan beginning a new round of negotiations and travels to Europe and West Asia.