The withdrawal of US-led multinational forces from Iraq is expected to be completed by 2026, said Abdul Karim Khalaf, a former spokesman for the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces on Sunday.
Khalaf said in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that the negotiations between Iraq and the United States on the issue of troop withdrawal have lasted for many years. Since the current Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani came to power, the issue has become one of the core contents of the Iraqi government's diplomatic plan.
The recent progress of the withdrawal discussions was fueled by a report published in The New Yorker in August titled, "The Haditha Massacre Photos That the Military Didn't Want the World to See." The report shed new light on one of the most notorious incidents during the US occupation of Iraq, triggering widespread media coverage in Iraq and sparking strong reaction among the Iraqis.
"Iraq proposed to complete the troop withdrawal within a few months, three months for instance. But the US initially proposed three years, and later shortened it to two years. The two sides have not yet determined a specific timetable. But I expect that by next year, about three months later, the withdrawal of the international coalition will enter an important stage, and the main forces will withdraw in 2025. By 2026, the presence of the international coalition in Iraq will be completely ended," he said.
Khalaf said that the US-led international coalition had misjudged the anti-terrorism capabilities of Iraqi forces. Although there are still some remnants of extremist organizations in Iraq, the Iraqi security forces are fully capable of dealing with them.
"Now the number of extremist groups in Iraq may have dropped to around 600 to 700, a number that cannot pose a threat to Iraq. This is an important point of disagreement between the two sides. The United States believes that Iraq cannot cope with the threat of extremist groups. But this is not the case. Extremist groups in Iraq are under control and do not require external intervention," said the spokesman.
When discussing the historical legacy of the US military in Iraq, Khalaf mentioned major events such as the Haditha massacre.
"Hundreds of similar massacres occurred during the U.S. occupation of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities. I was in charge of investigating such incidents when I was the operations commander at the Ministry of the Interior. I raised this issue with George Casey, the then top U.S commander in Iraq, pointing out that the U.S. army ruthlessly killing Iraqi civilians. However, Iraq did not have jurisdiction over the U.S. military, so these cases could only be recorded in Iraq," said Khalaf.
Khalaf said these incidents left deep scars on Iraqi society, and he called for continued investigations into these historical events in the future to ensure justice for the victims.
"Since the occupation of Iraq in 2003, no village or family has been spared. Everyone has paid a price, yet the Americans have not paid the price. The United States has destroyed Iraq's borders, induced the intrusion of extremist groups, disrupted Iraq's society, families and markets, with its negative impacts felt everywhere," he said.
Since the United States waged the Iraq War in 2003, numerous human rights abuses have been reported, exacerbating local resentment towards U.S. forces and drawing strong criticism from the international community.
Former Iraqi official predicts complete withdrawal of US-led forces by 2026
