Iraq Refuses Help From Foreign Troops To Fight ISIS After US Announces Sending Special Forces Team

Iraq said it does not need foreign troops to fight Islamic State militants. The statement came from the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who said his government does not need “foreign ground combat forces on Iraqi land.”

“The Prime Minister has called for an increase in weapons, training, and support from international partners, while reiterating that there is no need for foreign ground combat troops,” al-Abadi said in a statement.

“While we welcome this support, we emphasize any such support and special operations anywhere in Iraq can only be deployed subject to the approval of the Iraqi Government and in coordination with the Iraqi forces and with full respect to Iraqi sovereignty.”

The Iraqi PM’s statement comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter earlier announced that the United States would send a Special Force team to “put even more pressure” on the extremist forces in Iraq. He said U.S. authorities were using the “finest fighting force the world has ever known” to fight ISIS militants.

Carter, however, talked about operating with fill coordination with the Iraqi government. "In full coordination with the government of Iraq, we're deploying a specialized expeditionary targeting force to assist Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces and to put even more pressure on ISIL," the Pentagon chief said as speaking to the House Armed Services Committee.

According to Al Jazeera, the Iraqi government wants U.S. troops to help fight ISIS terrorists in Iraq. However, the Iraqi PM’s statement seems to be a contradictory version.

U.S. President Barack Obama has approved a plan to send Special Forces to Syria as well. However, the move has been taken with the consent of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is offended since the beginning of the U.S.-led coalition as his permission was not sought for.