International coalition in Iraq: no justification for armed groups after withdrawal

The international anti-ISIS coalition in Iraq said on Wednesday there is no justification for armed groups to remain in light of its withdrawal from the country.

The coalition said in a statement: "We have completed our mission and the final withdrawal from Erbil has been completed."

It affirmed that the relationship between coalition militaries will move to another phase of cooperation.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement that the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base was completed on September 30, representing the end of the "Operation Inherent Resolve" mission. It noted that "this step is part of a planned transition toward a bilateral defensive relationship between the United States and Iraq." The "Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve" continues its work, now based in Jordan, while U.S. forces continue the mission of combating ISIS in Syria alongside coalition partners and the Syrian government.

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, according to the statement, said: "I salute the outstanding performance of the tens of thousands of military personnel, diplomats and U.S. civilian staff who answered the call in Iraq. Thanks to your determination, sacrifices and professionalism, ISIS no longer poses a structural threat to Iraqi national security, and Iraqi security forces — including the Peshmerga and other security forces in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq — now have the capability, leadership and operational independence to deal on their own with the threats facing their homeland." 

The U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, said this morning that the United States and its partners in the international coalition have officially concluded "Operation Inherent Resolve" in Iraq. 

Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Falih al-Zaydi presided over the official ceremony on Sovereignty Day marking the end of the international coalition’s mission to fight ISIS in Iraq, and stressed that "no weapon outside the umbrella of the law, and no force outside the state’s institutions, in accordance with the constitution and in line with what our wise religious authority has called for and what our people want."