Expert: US Still Widening Military Buildup in Iraq
TEHRAN (FNA) – A prominent Iraqi political expert revealed that Washington continues to increase the number of its troops in Iraq, warning of the US plots to make aggression against the neighboring states.
Sabah al-Akili told the Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh news website on Tuesday that the number of US forces has increased in Iraq despite the general demand by the Iraqi people for their withdrawal.
He added that the US forces’ attacks on Iraqi security forces indicate that they are combat forces and are not deployed for advising or training purposes.
Al-Akili underlined that expansion of Ein al-Assad airbase, extension of its runway and deployment of Patriot missile systems at the base show that Washington intends to stay in Iraq for the long-run, specially given the reports that the US plans to use Iraq as a platform to attack the neighboring states and is, thus, sending more forces to its bases in Iraq.
Iraqi sources said last Saturday that the US army had dispatched new military convoys and equipment from Jordan to Ein al-Assad base in al-Anbar province in Western Iraq.
A military convoy comprising military vehicles and state-of-the-art military hardware has arrived in US-controlled Ein al-Assad Air Base in the city of Heet in al-Anbar province in Western Iraq from Jordan, al-Ma’aloumeh quoted a security source in al-Anbar province as saying.
The source noted that the US military convoys arrived under tight aerial support, and said the dispatch of the US military convoys from Jordan to Iraq has increased to unprecedented levels.
It also said that the US forces reinforced unprecedented security measures in all their positions in al-Anbar province concurrent with dispatching military equipment to their military base.
Relevant reports said in early April, over 10,000 US forces were stationed in two occupied bases in al-Anbar province in Western Iraq.
Al-Ma’aloumeh news website quoted the head of Badr Organization’s office in al-Anbar province as saying that the number of US forces deployed in Ein al-Assad and al-Habaniyeh bases has increased to 10,000, adding that they have been supplied with the state-of-the-art weapons and military equipment.
The official said that the two bases also host the US marines who have been transferred recently from Syria to the region, noting that 90 percent of the US soldiers in Iraq are combat forces and are not considered as military advisors.