No Permanent Base for US-Led Coalition in Iraq : FM

Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari underlined strong opposition to the establishment of any permanent base by the US-led coalition in his country.


"The international coalition has no intention to have permanent military bases in Iraq after the ISIL is defeated. The international coalition's military intervention in Iraq was meant to support the Iraqi government's war against the ISIL on the condition that it would not violate the country's sovereignty," Jafari was quoted as saying by the Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper on Saturday.

He explained that the coalition will remain in Iraq until all ISIL affiliates are uprooted in Iraq.

His remarks came after Iraqi sources revealed in August that the US army has started constructing its biggest military base in Iraq's Nineveh province in a bid to control the country's border with Syria.

"The US troops have kicked off the construction operations of the largest military base near the village of Kahriz in Zamar region West of the Tigris River in Nineveh province," Official Spokesman for Arab Tribes Group Mozahem al-Havit said.

He reiterated that the US also plans to construct four more military bases in other parts of Nineveh province, and said, "The US forces' mission in Western Mosul will be monitoring Iraq-Syria border from the West of Sinjar region to al-Qaem."
 [farsnews.com]
 16/12/17