turkish troop
© AP Photo/ Burhan Ozbilici
Former US Ambassador to Iraq and Turkey Jim Jeffrey said in an interview with Sputnik said that Turkish troops deployed in Iraq is "a very positive contribution" in Baghdad's efforts to conquer Daesh on its territories.

The Turkish forces deployed to northern Iraq can help in the fight against Daesh (ISIS) despite Baghdad's concerns over foreign troops on its soil.

"Iraq has many other problems, and the most important is to defeat ISIS [Islamic State]. If the Turks and Turkish trained troops can help, that is a very positive contribution," Jeffrey said on Friday.


Comment: That's a big 'if'. Turkey is the biggest state sponsor of the Islamic State. They have no interest in fighting anything more than a token battle against their proxy. Following the language of doublespeak, Turkish troops in Iraq are very "positive" - good for the U.S. and their allies, bad for the world and humanity in general.


In December 2015, Turkey deployed more than 150 troops and 25 tanks to the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh. Ankara claimed the troops were intended to protect Turkish forces training local militias in the fight against IS.

On Thursday, Iraqi Ambassador to the United States, Lukman Faily told Sputnik that Baghdad sent an envoy to Ankara last week to demonstrate it is "serious" about the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Iraq.

"It is a minor dispute," Jeffrey said, arguing the Iraqi government's objections to the Turkish presence were meant to appease Iran's "surrogates in Baghdad."

The dispute is unlikely to escalate beyond periodic complaints filed by the Iraqi government "for the record," he added.


Comment: And when will they leave the land they are illegally occupying?


Jeffrey, who served under both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, acknowledged that the foreign troops "theoretically" pose a threat to Iraq's sovereignty.


Comment: Theoretically?! If 300 Chinese troops illegally moved into California and refused to leave, would the U.S. call that a "theoretical" threat to U.S. sovereignty? Hell, no.


He further noted that Turkey "training Sunni Arab militias without clearance from Baghdad," is problematic.

In February, Iraq filed an official complaint with the United Nations Security Council over the unauthorized Turkish troop presence. The issue has also been discussed bilaterally between Baghdad and Ankara.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanded that Turkey withdraw its troops from Iraq, adding that Turkish actions are completely unacceptable.