Senior Iraqi MP: US Setting Up Military Bases in Iraq’s Erbil to Confront Syria, Iran

“The Americans have built a military base in Erbil of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to use it as a threat against Iraq’s neighboring countries, in particular Iran and Syria, the Arabic-language Al-Maloumeh news website quoted member of the Iraqi Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee Karim al-Mohammadavi as saying.

He noted that a total number of 100 US military vehicles arrived at US military bases in Erbil.

“The US military vehicles have arrived in Iraq with the knowledge of the Iraqi prime minister,” al-Mohammadavi said, rejecting the recent remarks of Adel Abdulmahdi that there are no US-exclusive military bases in Iraq merely used by the American troops.

He called on the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdulmahdi to take a firmer stance against the US troops stationed in Iraq.

The Iraqi prime minister had said that there were no military bases in Iraq to be only used by the US troops.

In a relevant development on Saturday, media sources said that the US Army has set up a sum of fourteen military bases for its ground troops in different parts of Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

The Arabic-language al-Maloumeh news website quoted security expert Safa al-Asam as saying that the US has established 14 ground force bases in Iraq.

Al-Asam reiterated that the US bases are not for its military advisors or for the purpose of training, and said the US military bases have spread over different districts such as Baghdad’s al-Mosana airport, al-Nasseriyeh, al-Qayareh in Mosul, al-Habanieyh and al-Qaem in al-Anbar province.

“Four US military bases are located in the Iraqi Kurdistan region,” al-Asam said, adding that the mission of these bases seems suspicious.

In a relevant development in mid-July, media reports said that the US Army was planning to set up a permanent military base along the Iraqi borders with Syria.

The US army has decided to construct a military base in Western Al-Anbar province of Iraq near the border with Syria, the Arabic-language al-Maloumeh news website quoted Iraqi sources as saying.

An Iraqi source told al-Maloumeh that the US decision comes while the US has already several military bases in different parts of the Western Desert of Al-Anbar province.

“The US intends to set up a military base equipped with state-of-the-art military hardware and systems,” he added.

The source reiterated that the US troops are present in Western al-Anbar along Iraq-Syria border in addition to their presence at the train station East of al-Qaem city.

The news comes as the main incentive of the US forces for setting up the military base is not clear.