Global Coalition withdrawal may imperil security, Iraqi MP warns
The approaching withdrawal of the Global Coalition from Iraq could destabilize the country and expose its borders with Syria to greater risk, the Security and Defense Committee in Parliament warned on Monday.
The US Embassy in Baghdad earlier confirmed the Coalition will shift from a combat role to a bilateral security partnership.
Committee member Yasser Watut argued that unrest in Syria and Lebanon makes the timing particularly dangerous, adding that lawmakers intend to raise their concerns with Iraq's security and military leadership.
An Iraqi government source said the plan will proceed in two stages. The first, set for September 2025, involves withdrawing forces from the Ain al-Asad base and Coalition headquarters in Baghdad, with redeployment to Erbil and Kuwait. A step that began today with the departure of a convoy from Ain al-Asad.
The second stage, scheduled for September 2026, would complete the exit, reducing troop numbers from about 2,500 to fewer than 500 advisers in Erbil. This comes despite US estimates that around 1,000 ISIS fighters remain in Iraq, with the threat described as 'persistent but contained.'
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