US Repeatedly Welcomes Iraqi Stance Against Militia Attacks
WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) – U.S. officials on Thursday, on three separate occasions welcomed measures taken by the Iraqi government against the militias involved in last Friday’s attack on the U.S. embassy, along with other facilities, including Iraq’s National Security Services.
Earlier on Friday, Maj. Gen. Yehia Rasool announced in a post on X that Iraq had launched an investigation into the attacks, and it had arrested a number of individuals, some of whom were “connected to certain security services.”
بيان
— يحيى رسول | Yehia Rasool (@IraqiSpoxMOD) December 14, 2023
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إنّ الاعتداء الذي وقع يوم 7 كانون الأول 2023، والذي استهدف سفارة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية ومقر ّجهاز الأمن الوطني وبعض المباني الحكومية هو اعتداء على أمن العراق وسيادته.
ولا يمكن السكوت أو التغاضي عن مثل هذه الاعتداءات؛ لما تمثله من تهديد جدّي لأمن البلاد…
Over the course of the day, U.S. official repeatedly expressed their appreciation of the actions of the Iraqi government.
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski, posted the first U.S. response on X, saying, “We commend Prime Minister @mohamedshia, the Iraqi Security services, and the judiciary on successfully apprehending a number of those responsible for the terrorist attacks against our Embassy, NSS and other government buildings.”
We commend Prime Minister @mohamedshia, the Iraqi Security services, and the judiciary on successfully apprehending a number of those responsible for the terrorist attacks against our Embassy, NSS and other government buildings. The U.S. is committed to close coordination with…
— Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq) December 14, 2023
Her statement was echoed later that day by State Department and Pentagon officials.
“We are pleased that [Prime Minister Sudani] has taken those steps,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said. “If the Iraqi government finds that there were others involved, of course we would support additional steps to hold those responsible accountable.”
At the Pentagon, Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder was even more positive. “We do appreciate the support of the Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces, as it relates to preventing these kinds of attacks,” he said. “We’re very appreciative of that,” and “we'll continue to coordinate closely with our Iraqi partners, as it relates to the safety of U.S. forces.”
“We’ll continue to keep those channels of communication open,” Ryder continued, even as he added that in the face of any threats, “We reserve the right to defend our forces.”
Since Oct. 17, Iran, along with the militias it backs, have exploited the Hamas-Israeli war to attack U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria. Those attacks peaked last Friday, with the assault on the U.S. embassy and other sites.
The unprecedented flurry of assaults seemed to precipitate a change in what had been a very cautious approach by the Biden administration toward those attacks. Until Friday, it would not even say that the militias were backed by Iran!
But for the first time, last Friday, both the State Department and Pentagon said exactly that.
Indeed, the Pentagon went even further. It named the two militias most responsible for the attacks in its read-out of a phone conversation that day between Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the Iraqi Prime Minister: Kata’ib Hizbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba.
Read More: U.S. Cites Iran, as Militias Attack Numerous Sites in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Syria
That, however, did not stop the militia attacks, and on Monday, U.S. officials again called on the Baghdad government to act more decisively to stop the assaults on U.S. targets.
However, on Tuesday, U.S. statements appeared to be significantly more positive, as Kurdistan 24 reported in a section entitled, “U.S.-Iraqi Ties Appear Cordial.”
Read More: Sec Def to visit Bahrain, Qatar, hosts to US Military Bases; Sec State Speaks with Iraqi PM
It is not entirely clear what prompted the change, but it appeared in various ways, including in the statement of the Pentagon Press Secretary, “We do very much appreciate the Iraqi Security Forces and the assistance that they have provided, when it comes to addressing these threats,” and “we’ll continue to stay in close coordination and communication with the Iraqi government.”
Ryder also announced that the Secretary of Defense would be visiting Bahrain and Qatar, in addition to Israel.
Lloyd Austin’s Trip to Bahrain and Qatar
On Thursday, Ryder provided a few more details about Austin’s travel, which will start on Saturday.
In Bahrain, where the U.S. has a major naval base, Austin “will meet with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister to thank him and discuss the important role Bahrain continues to play in enabling regional security, especially for maritime operations,” Ryder said.
“He will also underscore the combined maritime task force’s vital role in protecting critical international waterways in the region.”
The U.S. is assembling a large naval coalition to protect international shipping against attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. It appears that Austin will be discussing Bahrain’s support for that effort.
In Qatar, “Austin will meet with the Amir and the Minister of Defense to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to our bilateral security partnership and to express his gratitude for Qatar’s efforts to facilitate the release of hostages,” Ryder said.
Qatar’s Al-Udeid Airbase hosts U.S. air force operations in the CENTCOM theater, all the way from Afghanistan to Syria. But Ryder made no mention of any enhanced defense cooperation between Washington and Qatar, in contrast to his account of the issues that will be discussed, as Austin visits Bahrain.