Illustrative image. (Iraqi Ministry of Defense)
Iraqi government forces have taken serious measures to secure the border with Syria, Yasser Watout, a Member of the Iraqi Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, Yasser Watout, revealed in an interview with the Aljeebal news outlet that was published on September 30.
According to the MP, the Iraqi military, border guard, counter-terrorism service and the popular mobilization forces were all involved in the effort to secure the border.
The Security and Defense Committee reviewed “Iraqi media statements” regarding the intention of some “terrorist groups” present inside Syria to infiltrate or launch operations targeting Iraq, Watout told Aljeebal, noting that it had not seen any official confirmation from the relevant security authorities.
“Fortifications have been strengthened, surveillance devices and thermal cameras have been deployed, and reconnaissance and aerial missions have been intensified, making it extremely difficult for any armed elements to cross the border or threaten internal stability,” he added.
Watout went on to stress that Iraq today is stronger and more experienced in confronting “terrorism,” and will not allow terrorist groups to return.
His remarks appeared to be a direct response to Iraqi State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki, who just three days earlier warned of a plan to “invade Iraq” by “armed gangs” in Syria.
Al-Maliki linked his warning to the recent regime change in Syria, which brought Islamists led by now-President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who formerly fought with al-Qaeda in Iraq.
“There is an intention by gangs in Syria to invade Iraq with the knowledge of the al-Julani regime,” he said, referring to Sharaa by his old nom de guerre, Abu Mohamad al-Julani.
“The Sunni component [in Iraq] rejects sectarianism, and the consequences of the fall of the Bashar [al-Assad] regime do not encourage it to occur in Iraq. The Syrian army must also be cleansed of foreign mercenaries,” he added.
The Iraqi leader continued, “Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with al-Julani, and I objected to his attendance at the Baghdad summit.”
Iraq was among the first countries to engage with the new Islamist-led government in Syria. Nevertheless, it remains very cautious.
In an interview with the Associated Press published on September 29, al-Sudani stressed the need to cooperate with Sharaa.
“We and the administration in Syria certainly have a common enemy, ISIS, which is clearly and openly present inside Syria,” he said.
Al-Sudani revealed that his government has warned the Syrians against the mistakes that occurred in Iraq after Saddam’s fall. He also called for the government there to pursue a “comprehensive political process that includes all components and communities.”
“We do not want Syria to be divided,” he said. “This is unacceptable and we certainly do not want any foreign presence on Syrian soil,” apparently alluding to Israel’s incursions into southern Syria.
While Iraq seems willing to cooperate with the Syrian government, it is certainly preparing for the worst. The security measures on the border are the most obvious example. Recently, the Iraqi military revealed that it had upgraded some tanks to improve protection against drones, a weapon that played a key role in the victory of the rebel led by Sharaa over the Assad regime last year.
Frictions are already being reported along the border. On September 30, Syrian government forces claimed that someone infiltrated from Iraq and planted the former Syrian flag over an abandoned border post. This small incident, which was not even verified by any independent side, sparked outrage among the Sunni supporters of Sharaa in Syria, with some even calling on social media for a response against the Shia in Iraq.
And while Sharaa himself is not likely interested in any conflict with Iraq, many of those under his command, including former members of ISIS, may be. It is uncertain how much he could stop a cross-border attack, even if he knew about it beforehand.
The Syrian president has already failed to stop, willingly or unwillingly, two sectarian-fueled attacks against the Alawites on the coast in March and Druze in al-Suwayda in July. The chances of him doing any better when it comes to the border with Iraq are very slim.
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i suppose “isis” wants its own caliphate in anbar and qaeda-al-jolani-sharaa is willing to look the other way, as told by his sionist masters. yet al-jolani won’t do a thing about his druze-kurd secessionists. arabs are super dumb.
anbar is never the end goal of those terrorists. their ideology tells them to get all. it is either them or you. and at the end they are just tools in the hands of their masters. if i were an iraqi politician i would fight for every inch. f those bastards don’t understand their limits they will be wiped off the map, even in syria (hts) and afghanistan (taliban)
i wish to see the day that egypt, iraq, iran, pakistan, and turkey make new muslim league to remove israeli, jordanian, saudi, uae, and qatari cancer in the region. but i wont hold my breath. until then, they will all remain divided and conquered. eventually the saudis and all
gulf emirates will suffer too and no one will be left to help them.