Iraq denies US permission for military stay. Iraqi military said that US forces that have crossed into Iraq as part of a pullout from Syria do not have permission to stay on Iraqi soil.
The Iraqi military said this in a statement on Tuesday.
Iraq denies US permission
Moreover, it clarified that all US forces that withdrew from Syria received approval to enter the Kurdistan Region for transportation outside Iraq.
That means leaving Syria for any country other than Iraq and via Iraqi Kurdistan region.
However, Iraq has not given permission for US forces to stay inside Iraq.
The statement contradicted Pentagon chief Mark Esper statement that all of the nearly 1,000 troops to move to western Iraq.
Plans may change
However, US defense official later clarified that the situation remains fluid and plans could change.
Meanwhile, news agencies said Monday that US troops had crossed into Iraq from Syria through the Sahela border crossing in Dohuk.
Moreover, video images showed armored vehicles carrying troops into Iraq.
Later, Iraqi Kurdish sources said that US troops had crossed into the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.
Trump greenlight to Turkey
Notably, President Trump abruptly announced the withdrawal of US troops from northeastern Syria earlier this month.
That effctively granted Turkey a green light to carry out a long-planned invasion of northern Syria. And that the US activists and many politicians call Trump betrayed US-allied Kurdish forces in the region.
