Iraq expects Trump to uphold the signed agreement – but will not do so itself

An Iraqi military spokesman stated that there is no final deadline for disarming terrorist organizations, despite the agreement with the US setting September 30 as the target date. Meanwhile, the senior military official expects international coalition forces, including the US military, to leave Iraq by that same date. The gap in expectations signals a looming failure in implementing the agreement.

An Iraqi military spokesman said today (Thursday) that there is no defined final deadline for disarming terrorist organizations in the country, even though the date agreed upon between Iraq and the US – September 30 – is less than three weeks away. Conversely, the same senior military official expects international coalition forces, including the US military, to leave Iraq by the set date. The original agreement, reached after pressure from President Trump on Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, set a single date for both sides to fulfill their commitments simultaneously: disarming pro-Iranian militias on one hand, and withdrawing foreign forces on the other. In practice, Iraq is signaling that it does not intend to uphold its side of the agreement, while demanding that the US do so. The article notes that the US has already begun withdrawing from the area, with the removal of all air defense installations from Iraqi Kurdistan serving as an example. The American withdrawal leaves the Kurds vulnerable to Iranian attacks using drones and ballistic missiles, as recently occurred. The gap between Iraq's one-sided expectations and the reality on the ground raises concerns that the agreement to disarm terrorism in Iraq is far from completion, even as the final deadline approaches.