UPDATE 1-INSIGHT-In Saddam strongholds that fought America, Iraqis fear a U.S. departure Reuters 2/5/2021
(Removes stray word from the byline)
By John Davison and Ahmed Rasheed
FALLUJAH, Iraq, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Abu Arkan Ibrahim picked up a rifle and joined the Iraqi insurgency against U.S. troops when they occupied his hometown of Fallujah in 2003. He was badly burned in the fighting. Now, he fears the departure of the Americans he once battled.
Over the past 17 years, the municipal employee has watched his city fall to the United States, al Qaeda, Islamic State and, most recently, Iraqi forces fighting alongside Iran-backed paramilitaries. Ibrahim said the presence of U.S. troops in recent years helped suppress remaining Islamic State militants and rein in the Iran-backed militias - mutual foes accused by Iraqi officials of attacking locals. The U.S. troop drawdown is creating a security vacuum, Ibrahim said, making Fallujah more dangerous.
i24 News - The US, Belgium, France, and Japan are set to hold joint naval maneuvers in the Arabian Sea.
They say Islamic State and the Iran-backed paramilitaries stand to gain most from Washington’s troop reduction. They point to an increase in attacks by Islamic State, and fear the Iran-backed militias will use this violence to justify entrenching themselves.
Last month, the United States completed a reduction of its forces in Iraq to 2,500 troops. That’s about half the level of less than a year ago.
Recent months have witnessed more than 25 deadly attacks that Iraqi officials attribute to Islamic State militants. Last month, the group staged its biggest attack in years with a suicide bombing in the capital Baghdad that killed more than 30 people.
Irak: Amenazan con llevar el conflicto a casa de tutores de Daesh hispantv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hispantv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.