US Withdrawal From Iraqi Cities Good but Insufficient

Syrian media welcomed the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraqi cities but said that the step was insufficient unless it was followed by a complete pullout of foreign armies from the country.



A July 2 op-ed piece in the official Al-Baath newspaper described as “deficient” the pullback of American troops –scheduled under a security agreement between Washington and the Iraqi government.



Columnist Bassam Hashem wrote that it remained unclear whether the US military intended to end its occupation of Iraq or whether it wanted to “rest” in preparation for an assault against Iran.



The author warned the Americans against waging attacks against “Iraqi resistance” groups in the countryside, arguing that this would be an “unsound tactic”.



The partial pullout of the troops would support suspicions that the US had a hidden agenda to make its occupation of Iraq permanent under the guise of “coercive” security agreements with the Iraqis.



A July 2 editorial in the official Al-Thawra newspaper said that both Iraq and the US should be congratulated for the pullback of US troops but added that other steps should follow.



“I congratulate Iraq because it has partly restored its cities from occupation, and I congratulate the United States because it has partly overcome its predicament in Iraq,” wrote the daily’s editor-in-chief, Asaad Aboud.



Another editorial in the official newspaper, Tishreen, said on July 1 that the pullout of US troops was important but would have “true meaning” only after a withdrawal from the entire country.