?Why did the US administration send its troops to Iraq

Due to instability experienced by Iraq in general and the security in particular, especially after the emergence of ISIL “Daash” in June 2014 as a security challenge for the continuation of the Iraqi political process as a whole, and under the war by the international coalition led by the United States against it, the US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter arrived the Iraqi capital Baghdad in undeclared visit on April 18 of this month, and met during his visit to a number of US military commanders also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his defense minister, Khalid al-Obeidi and these talks between the US and Iraqi sides have resulted to the determination of the administration of US President Barack Obama to intensify its military presence in Iraq.

As US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced sending 217 US troops from special units to Iraq and to allow them to approach the front lines in the battle against al-State in Iraq and the Levant “Daash” to provide consultations to the Iraqi forces. For the first time ever, the United States will be in the deployment of eight combat helicopters “Apache”  to support Iraqi forces. And Artillery , missile units, long- range, in addition to increase thelogistical support to Iraqi forces. The United States also plans to provide assistance to more than $ 400 million to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, which are fighting state regulation.

The White House described the move as “important” and said it would not undermine US President Barack Obama ‘s commitment not to engage US ground forces in combatant actions in Iraq. The White House spokesman Josh Ernest said last Monday, “We have endeavored to develop a strategy that allows us to provide further advice and greater help, but at the same time do not put members of our armed forces automatically on the front lines.” It should be noted here that the sending of American troops to Iraq is not the first of its kind, since previously that the United States sent troops to Iraq on the back of the change of the Iraqi security scene after June 2014. With this new deployment of US forces in Iraq the number is increased to 4087 US troops.

President Barack Obama administration ‘s decision to send 217 troops from special units to Iraq comes as part of a comprehensive military strategy which is based on the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and reliance on drones and special operations units. And the deployment map of US combat special troops extends for Iraq and Syria and link to Afghanistan, the Philippines and in the south It extends to the Horn of Africa and west covering Mali, Niger, Tunisia and Moritania. As these units contributed to the unique military operations , such as arrest or liquidation of leading elements of al – Qaeda and the organization of the state in Iraq and the Levant “Daash” and managed by investigations with detainees from those organizations to obtain information about military plans, as these units contributed of training allies of the United States forces such as Kurds of Iraq, and with organizations that are cooperated with it in Syria as the elements of the units of the protection of the Kurdish people , the military faction of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party. And also train and assist the different forms of the armed forces in the Iraqi army.

Allowing the approach of these units from the front lines of battles against state regulation in Iraq and the Levant “Daash” does not mean fought alongside Iraqi and Kurdish forces, noting that the position of US President Barack Obama on this issue is very clear, as he believes that the fight against terrorism is the responsibility of the Kurdish and Iraqi forces alike, but this does not prevent the use of US attack helicopters and resorting to landings when necessary.

There are several readings of the US military support for Iraq First , the United States and its allies and the Iraqi forces were able to achieve military progress against al – State in Iraq and the Levant “Daash.” And that the United States with this new support is preparing for the critical battle of Mosul without joining militias popular crowd in that battle, as US President Barack Obama said that 2016 is the year of liberation of Mosul from state regulation, secondly , there are those who attribute the transmission to the floundering of the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi and failing to regain the cities under the control of the organization, as well as the confidence crisis that the Iraqi forces are facing and the pursuit of state parties to the involvement of militia of the popular crowd at an advanced sites of battles . Third the increase of the US military presence as an attempt by President Barack Obama ‘s administration to rescue the political process based on a sectarian quota system, which the previous US administration was an official sponsors of these quotas. US President Barack Obama ‘s administration is doing what it can to stabilize the situation in Iraq for the benefit of the ruling religious parties and in the interests of the Iranian regime on the pretext of concern from state regulation in Iraq and the Levant “Daash.”

US President Barack Obama’s remarks have raised , in an interview with ” American Network C,B,C NEWS on Monday on- hours after his defense secretary, Ashton Carter said Washington would send Apache helicopters and additional troops to Iraq, that training Iraqi forces and intelligence information will tighten the screws down on Daash that dominated the Mosul in summer of 2014, before expanding to other areas, especially in Anbar province , ” Questions about the dimensions of this strategy, which comes after the US administration has completed its military withdrawal from Iraq in December 2011. What is surprising here is that the increased military presence comes in a situation where the political process is going through in Iraq, which came as one of the secretions of the US occupation of Iraq in 2003, the crisis threatens the continuation of it and the construction of a new process based on fundamental reforms.

There are those who also believe that the US military support aims to direct intervention in the political struggle to save the political process based on the sectarian and national quota system operated by Iran in proxy, and block any change. this opinion is taken in to the consideration where the Iranian regime is going through a difficult situation currently and distributes its efforts at all levels on more than one front in the Arabic Levant from Yemen in the south to Syria, Lebanon and Iraq to the north, and that of the Iranian regime’s interest to stabilize the situation in Iraq in favor of its allies in the Arab Mashreq countries, and this is achieved by the US President Barack Obama’s administration under the pretext of fear of the state organization in Iraq and the Levant “Daash” from stretching on the Iraqi geography.

With this service offered by the US administration to the Iranian regime is reshaping the famous words uttered on one day by the French leader Napoleon Bonaparte in a different way, when he said, “If you see your enemy is destroying himself, there is no intersection.” While the current US administration is working to help the Iranian regime, and there is no harm from this assistance as long as the essence of international relations for a long time based on mutual interests. The Supreme’s interest of the United States in the era of Democratic President Barack Obama is requiring a coordination with the Iranian regime, and this interest may be changed or deepened with any American president who is coming to the White House, depending on the change or the stability of the political calculations, and this is the essence of political action.

From the above , and due to the complexity of the Iraqi scene as a whole ,it seems that the US administration was reviewing deeply for the option of withdrawal from Iraq, especially that the political process launched by it after the occupation of Iraq in 2003, failed to achieve stability, which is now in a difficult situation because of the sectarian and ethnic contradictions of the partners of the political process, the crisis experienced by Iraq has revealed that the political class is weak and limited influence, as well as in a state of conflict between internal components , including within the single sectarian coalition, which is reflected in the contradicted statements and declarations between the leader of Alsadr current Moqtada al – Sadr , and former prime minister, head of the Dawa Party , Nouri al-Maliki. As the US administration fears that the conflict in Iraq will lead to a state of chaos that it is likely to be in the benefit of the organization of state in Iraq and the Levant “Daash.” And the usefulness of the advocates of the division of Iraq, then the common policies and understandings between the US administration and the Iranian regime on Iraq will be useless that have been failed, Iraq is as a strategic country can not be administered according to those common policies and understandings.

Rawabet Research and Strategic Studies Center