Coalition also halts Dutch mission in northern Iraq due to tensions | NOW

The international coalition in Iraq has also decided to halt the Dutch training mission in northern Iraq due to the tensions between Iran and the US. That was decided on Sunday, reports the Ministry of Defense to NU.nl. At first it only seemed to be about stopping a smaller Dutch mission in Baghdad.

About fifty Dutch people are active in northern Iraq. They train fighters from Iraqi-Kurdish militias, the Peshmergas. In recent years they have played an important role in the fight against the Islamic State.

The commander on the spot of the US-led mission decided on Sunday to temporarily suspend all training activities in the country due to the tensions between Iran and the US, a defense spokesperson said. The soldiers present will remain in place for the time being.

For the Dutch deployment, that decision only seemed to relate to the training of commandos in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. On Monday it became clear that the training of Iraqi-Kurdish militias, the peshmergas, in the city of Erbil in the north of the country will also be stopped. Dutch trainers teach the Kurds, among other things, shooting skills and security skills.

Relations between the United States and Iran and Iraq have been on the alert since the Iranian top general Qassem Soleimani was killed last Friday in an American drone attack in Baghdad. Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, leader of the pro-Iranian Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, also died.

There is great indignation in Iraq over the unannounced US operation on Iraqi territory. Sunday the Iraqi parliament took one non-binding resolution which states that foreign troops must leave the country. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi says he supports that resolution.

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