Al-Sudani allows 350 US advisers to stay in Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Monday that 250 to 350 American military advisers will remain at three Iraqi bases to help counter Islamic State remnants in Syria. The personnel will operate from Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq, a site near Baghdad airport, and al-Harir base in the Kurdistan Region to coordinate with U.S. forces at Syria’s al-Tanf base. Al-Sudani noted that instability following Bashar Assad’s fall in Syria prompted both governments to modify last year’s complete withdrawal agreement. The prime minister emphasized Iraq’s neutral position between Washington and Tehran while stating his country will not serve as a proxy or battlefield for external powers.
