Iraq says U.S. forces withdrawing from Syria have no approval to stay

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October 20 LBN thread: Defense chief says US troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq

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Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS OCTOBER 22, 2019 / 4:16 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO

Iraq says U.S. forces withdrawing from Syria have no approval to stay

Ahmed Rasheed, Idrees Ali
3 MIN READ

BAGHDAD/PRINCE SULTAN AIR BASE, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - U.S. forces that crossed into Iraq as part of a pull-out from Syria do not have permission to stay and can only be there in transit, the Iraqi military said on Tuesday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said, however, that Washington aimed eventually to bring the troops withdrawing from Syria back to the United States.

The Iraqi military statement contradicted the Pentagon’s announcement that all of the nearly 1,000 troops withdrawing from northern Syria are expected to move to western Iraq to continue the campaign against Islamic State militants and “to help defend Iraq”.

“All U.S. forces that withdrew from Syria received approval to enter the Kurdistan Region so that they may be transported outside Iraq. There is no permission granted for these forces to stay inside Iraq,” the Iraqi military said.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-iraq/iraq-says-u-s-forces-withdrawing-from-syria-have-no-approval-to-stay-idUSKBN1X10RE