Army Col. Michael Midkiff, 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and officer in charge of the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Logistics Advise and Assist Team, helps an Iraqi soldier with an M16A2 rifle sling May 26, 2015. Sean Taylor/CJTF-OIR
The United States is willing to send more troops to Iraq — but do the Iraqis really want them?
Iraqi officials refuse to touch that question.
A spokesman for Iraq’s embassy in Washington told Military Times that neither the ambassador nor his staff could provide “informed responses” to questions seeking clarity on Baghdad’s willingness to host more U.S. troops. “I can try to request clarification from Baghdad,” said Ali Al-Mawlawi, the spokesman, “but I can’t guarantee that we’d get an on-the-record response.”
Al-Mawlawi did not respond to subsequent inquires.
The embassy's uncertainty highlights a fundamental shift in the U.S.-Iraqi relationship.
When the Islamic State group began to sweep across Iraq in 2014, the government in Baghdad very publicly urged the U.S. to provide air
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WNU Editor: Iraq may be quiet on Washington's offer of more U.S. troops (I suspect they are debating that offer right now) .... but they are quick to take the F-16s .... Second batch of U.S. F-16 jets arrives in Iraq (Reuters).
Update: This is raising a few eyebrows .... Number of US Troops in Iraq More Than 4,000, Exceeds Previous Claims (Military.com).
