Iraqi Analyst: US Pressuring Baghdad to Exclude Popular Forces from Anti-Terrorism Campaign in Anbar

Mohammad Na’na expressed regret that Washington has succeeded in persuading certain tribal leaders in Anbar to join its so-called war on the ISIL.

“Washington is pressuring the Iraqi government to exclude the popular forces from the Anbar province mop-up operations,” he told FNA on Thursday.

Na’na, meantime, warned against the United States’ negative role in the war on ISIL, saying field reports show that the US ground troops have played no role in the operations that led to the liberation of Anbar.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahamad Jamal announced on Wednesday that Baghdad had rejected Washington’s demand for the deployment of the US ground force to Iraq’s war against the ISIL.

“Some of the US military officials and generals of the anti-ISIL coalition forces have indirectly underlined the necessity for dispatching the US ground troops to Iraq to join the combat against the terrorist group,” Jamal said.

“But, Iraq is opposed to the presence of any ground force from the US or any other member states of the coalition in the fight against the terrorist groups, because the Iraqi people do not want to see any foreign soldiers on their soil and they do not want to experience the bitter taste of the US military presence on their land once against,” the spokesman added.

Earlier this month, the Iraqi popular forces known as Hashed Al-Shaabi also underlined their opposition to the US forces’ partnership in fighting against terrorists in the Western province of Anbar.

“The US will not sacrifice even one of its soldiers for Iraq and their present meddling in the government’s affairs is a plot to disintegrate Iraq,” Karim al-Nouri, a commander of the popular forces, said.

He reminded that Hashed Al-Shaabi had earned many victories against the terrorists, and said, “Therefore, the popular forces will not wait for anyone’s permission and will continue fighting against the ISIL.”