US DOES NOT SEEK PERMANENT MILITARY PRESENCE IN IRAQ: AMBASSADOR

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US DOES NOT SEEK PERMANENT MILITARY PRESENCE IN IRAQ: AMBASSADOR

Matthew Tueller, US ambassador to Iraq, during a hearing. (Photo Credit: Reuters/File)

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SULAIMANI — US Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller told reporters on Monday (August 31) that the US does not want a permanent military presence in Iraq and that he hoped Iraqi lawmakers would not reject the operative agreements that authorize the presence of foreign troops as part of the joint effort to defeat Islamic State (ISIS).

Saying the much had been achieved during the war against ISIS, Tueller conceded that there was “a lot of misunderstanding” about the relationship between the Iraqi government and the International Coalition, alluding to an indicative vote in January by the Council of Representatives urging the government to expel foreign troops following the assassination of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

The ambassador said that his country’s actions in Iraq were legally underpinned by the 2008 Strategic Framework Agreement and urged lawmakers in Baghdad to continue working in partnership with the United States as a revised bilateral relationship takes shape.

Speaking about the recent rocket attacks on Baghdad’s Green Zone and military facilities hosting foreign troops, Tueller said that the “extremist voices” behind the attacks do not represent the Iraqi people.

The US ambassador also reviewed the recent trip by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Washington, saying that the visit demonstrated “the strength of the relationship between the two countries” that would create momentum towards deepening that bond.

He added that the US supported economic reforms in Iraq and hoped to see increased foreign investment.

(NRT Digital Media)