ISIS reemerges: Washington warns Baghdad
The United States has cautioned Baghdad that the Islamic State (ISIS) still poses a threat to Iraq, amidst ongoing discussions about the efficacy of maintaining the Washington-led coalition forces against the organization.
Yesterday, the U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad, Alina Romanowski, stated that ISIS remains a threat in Iraq.
In an interview with Reuters, she added that the military coalition led by the United States with Iraq to fully defeat the organization “has not yet concluded.”
Romanowski, from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, said, “We both recognize that ISIS still represents a threat here. Despite its setbacks, we have not yet accomplished our fundamental work, and we want to ensure that Iraqi forces can continue to defeat the organization.”
High-ranking Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, have repeatedly stated that the organization no longer poses a threat in Iraq and that there is no longer a need for the coalition, even as members of the organization continue to carry out attacks elsewhere.
The ambassador’s statements come after the ISIS branch in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert hall in Russia on Friday, killing 137 people.
In additional comments following the interview, the ambassador stated, “As this incident reminds us, ISIS is a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere.”
She added, “That is why the United States and Iraq are committed to ensuring the permanent defeat of ISIS, by working together to shape a future of strong bilateral security partnership between the United States and Iraq.”
