Coalition remains committed to helping Iraqi troops: spokesperson

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- The US-led Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) remains committed to assisting and training Iraqi forces in their ongoing campaign to defeat the terror group, Coalition spokesperson Colonel Myles B. Caggins III told Rudaw on Friday.

“The Global Coalition is committed to partnering with the Iraqi security forces to maintain pressure on these ISIS sleeper cells and help them to train and have the best security forces possible,” Caggins told Rudaw.

“We have operation centers with the Iraqis in Baghdad, Anbar, and Saladin and other provinces where side by side we are discussing the security situation and operations against ISIS with Iraqi security forces. There are some areas that Iraqi security have not asked for our assistance, but we are excited and happy to see that they are continuing to maintain pressure on ISIS,” explained Caggins.

The US has 5,200 troops  housed in Iraqi bases across the country to assist, advise, and train Iraqi forces as part of the Global Coalition Against Daesh (Arabic acronym for ISIS). 

The presence of these forces, however, has become increasingly contentious . US troops, based on an Iraqi invitation in 2014, came to the country to oust ISIS, which seized swathes of Iraq and Syria in the same year.

Relations have become shaky due to escalating Iran-US tensions, which saw a spate of rocket attacks on Iraqi soil in January.

The Coalition paused operations and re-positioned troops across Iraq as a result of the attacks, and the Iraqi government passed a non-binding resolution on January 5 calling on the US to withdraw from the country.

“There were a number of attacks on Iraqi bases that host Coalition troops. As a result of these attacks, the Coalition has had to reposition some personnel, who were here for training and advising missions,” explained the Coalition spokesperson.

“In recent weeks, the Coalition has paused many of our operations outside of the Iraqi bases, where we operate. But I would like to emphasize and help your viewers understand that we remain partnered with the Iraqi security forces, and in Syria, we are conducting full operations with the Syrian Democratic Forces to catch ISIS,” added Caggins.

The relocation of military and civilian staff has also led to the pause of expertise provided to the Iraqi government, particularly in relation to fighter jets provided by the US. 

“We are unable to provide special technical expertise that the Iraqi government has requested for years, and the F-16s are one of those areas,” revealed Caggins.

"The Iraqi Airforce can still fly the F-16s, but they will be most effective when we have our expert technical advisers who have been operating in Iraq for more than a decade."

The US-led coalition's current mission, alongside the defeat of ISIS, is to protect the troops themselves since “we were not expecting that there will be threats from ballistic missiles”.

"There have been discussions about defensive systems, and those discussions will happen among governments,” added Caggins, responding to news of US deployment of missile defense systems in bases housing its troops.

Caggins also discussed ISIS  sleeper cell attacks in Diyala, Anbar, and Nineveh provinces.

“The people who live in towns like Khanaqin, Qara Tapa and Miqdadiya, they know that ISIS remains a threat here in Iraq,” argued Caggins.

Disputed territories claimed by both Baghdad and Erbil, including the provinces of Kirkuk and Diyala, have been subject to increased insurgency attacks from ISIS remnants in recent months.

 “When it comes to the question of the threat of ISIS, we don't focus on the numbers. It is really hard to gauge. What we do focus on with our intelligence and our collaboration with Iraqi security forces partners is the threat, the capability that ISIS has,” added Caggins.

ISIS is engaging in extortions, illegal checkpoints to raise funds for itself, especially by stealing livestock and extorting farmers, added Caggins.