Al-Sharqia News TV reported on May 7 that Mahmud Osman, a member of Iraq’s Parliament from the Kurdish coalition said: The Americans believe that maintaining part of their forces in Iraq after departure of their forces is necessary and its main reason, based on what I hear from the American media and circles, is to prevent Iran’s influence in Iraq and Iran’s impact on the Gulf and Iraq.
They believe that this is their opinion and, therefore, we witness that high ranking American officials express their views, come and go, and meet and discuss this issue.
And I believe that during all these meetings they discuss this subject, therefore, we shouldn’t approach it in this manner; rather, this issue should be discussed carefully and as fast as possible by all Iraqi leaders, and political factions and institutions should come to an agreement over it and announce it publically. And this is better than assuming and guessing over this subject.
