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Iraq's Defense Committee backs Global Coalition presence
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iraq's parliamentary Committee of Security and Defense affirmed the need for the continued presence of the US-led Coalition to provide aerial support amid growing regional security threats.
The committee member Yasser Iskander Watout told Shafaq News that Iraq requires substantial logistical and air assistance to secure its airspace, as its current capabilities are insufficient to monitor shared borders with neighboring states.
He also explained that recent contracts to procure 14 modern aircraft 'do not cover the full needs,' stressing the importance of allocating a dedicated budget to support the Ministry of Defense and strengthen the air force with new qualified personnel.
Watout also noted that efforts by the Ministry of Interior and the Border Guard Command, supported by other security forces, have succeeded in tightly securing the border strip with Syria.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Minister al-Abbasi stated that the Coalition's presence in Syria is 'necessary,' confirming that Baghdad has not received any official notification of changes to the Coalition's withdrawal timeline or of any request to increase the number of US troops.
The statement follows ongoing discussions between Baghdad and Washington through the Joint Higher Military Commission, established in 2023 to define the future of the US military presence in Iraq.
In early 2020, Iraq's parliament voted to require the government to establish a timetable for ending foreign military presence, following the US strike that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Popular Mobilization Forces deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near Baghdad International Airport.
US forces in Iraq are currently stationed at several bases, including Ain al-Asad in Al-Anbar and Harir in Erbil. Around 2,500 American troops remain in the country, focused on combating ISIS remnants and providing logistical support to Iraqi forces under the Global Coalition.
