by Carl Osgood (EIRNS) — Jan. 06, 2024
The Iraqi Security Media Cell (SMC), the anti-ISIS propaganda arm of the Iraqi government, denied that it is cooperating with the U.S. in targeting Iraqi militia elements responsible for the attacks on US bases. The U.S. has been declaring this cooperation.
On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said that “We do know that the Iraqi Security Forces have continued to assist in identifying in some cases where these Iranian proxies have conducted attacks against US forces and we’re very appreciative of that support.”
The SMC countered that, “We strongly deny the existence of such cooperation. On the contrary, yesterday’s attack was carried out directly without the knowledge of any Iraqi military or security entity, as is the case with recent attacks that targeted security sites,” Shafaq News reported, from an SMC statement.
The SMC also revealed that the authorities in Baghdad were not notified by the US ahead of time about Thursday’s strike. It stressed that the attack negatively impacted the overall relationship between Iraqi forces and the international coalition, branding it as a clear violation of the coalition’s legal mandate.