The top U.S. general in Iraq, who works side-by-side with Iraqi forces battling the Islamic State, refused to be drawn into the debate about whether Iraq should be one of the countries from which entry to the United States is restricted.
But it was pretty clear from his comments at a Pentagon briefing Wednesday where his sympathies lie.
“Iraq is our partner and ally,” said Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend in a remote video feed from Baghdad. “They are an ally in the fight against ISIS, and this nation is fully mobilized in this war alongside of us. They’ve invited us into their country to help them. They are protecting us here and we’re fighting this enemy that threatens all of our countries together.”
Townsend said he could not confirm reports out of Washington that indicated President Trump’s revised executive order would drop Iraq from the list of seven majority Muslim countries that would be affected by the travel ban.
The three-star general said the reaction among military officers who he works with was “muted, level-headed and sophisticated,” as Iraqi officials wait to see how the situation “plays out.”
Townsend said he has no special insight into what the president’s final decision will be, but he indicated his preference would be for a policy that doesn’t detract from the close working relationship between the U.S. and the Iraqi government.
“I would prefer personally not to see anything that would reflect on that except that we have a very strong partnership,” he said. “I think I’ll just leave it at that.”
