Iraq Accepts Int'l Support Against IS

It seems that these attempts are based on statements issued by US parties. Retired Gen. David Petraeus considered in statements on March 21 that the Shiite militias or the PMU constitute a bigger threat for Iraq than IS. Such statements, along with the responses of Iraqi political leaders, added to the confusion in understanding the US role in Iraq.

The US role in the war against IS has been in the spotlight for months now, whether with the intention of questioning it or undermining it. But this is ultimately not in Iraq’s interests, which are linked to the US commitment to defend Iraq’s independence and protect the democratic process in the country in the context of a strategic US-Iraq agreement.

What’s more, the US military support for Iraq has not been restricted to airstrikes, as the United States has given Iraq important intelligence information regarding the activities of militants, their deployment locations and information regarding which targets are more important than others, in addition to training Iraqi forces and concluding major weapons deals with the country.

The US-Iraqi relations are strategic and run deep. Iraq has no interest in ruining these ties by giving free rein to voices wanting to isolate it from international and US support. Clearly, for Iraq to strengthen these relations, it should take balanced steps in its regional and international relations.