Speaking to Russia’s TASS news, Baghdad’s envoy to Russia, Haidar Mansour Hadi, said he did not know of any US plans to deploy permanent military bases to Iraq.
“US servicemen who are staying in the country only provide consultancy. Deployment of military bases is out of the question,” Hadi affirmed.
According to Kurdistan 24 he added the Iraqi government would oppose any plans to establish permanent US bases, noting the US government withdrew its forces from Iraq in 2011.
“The Iraqi government has repeatedly said there are no US bases in the country. We insist that Iraq’s sovereignty is our number one priority. That is why it is up to the government to decide about any presence of bases.”
American troops are still in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS). There are over 5,000 US soldiers currently deployed in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region.
Reporter's code:50101