Iraq and US agree to resume talks on Coalition presence

The United States has signalled its willingness to resume negotiations with the government on the future of the International Coalition’s mission in Iraq. Although the terms of the negotiations have not been fully agreed, the government will use this opening to build broad political support for its position.  

Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein revealed yesterday that he had received a letter from the US ambassador but did not elaborate on its content. Reuters and CNN then published reports confirming that the US had agreed to resume talks on the future of the Coalition through the Higher Military Committee.

Last week in Davos, PM Sudani told an audience that his government was negotiating with the United States on whether to resume negotiations on the future of the foreign military presence.

Both Sudani and the leading figureheads within the Coordination Framework have stated that they do not believe that the Coalition’s mission is needed anymore, and that any future military cooperation should be negotiated on a bilateral basis with individual countries. This leaves open the possibility of a contingent of foreign forces remaining in Iraq, albeit under a different arrangement.

Even if the United States is open to this proposal, there are differing views over the terms of withdrawing Coalition forces. On the one hand, ending the Coalition’s mandate could be predicated on conditions on the ground, including political and security stability, while others favor setting a firm and unconditional timeline for withdrawal.