Israeli strikes raise questions about US presence in Iraq
A suspected Israeli strike against an Iran-backed convoy in Iraq has raised political doubts about the long-term American troop presence there.
![IRAQ-SECURITY/STRIKES Members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (MPF) carry the coffin of a fighter, who was killed by an unmanned aircraft close to the Syrian border in Anbar, during his funeral in Najaf, Iraq August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani - RC15DE813700](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2019/08/RTS2NXQA.jpg/RTS2NXQA.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=ZpN_qBHt)
The likely spillover of an expanding tit-for-tat between Israel and Iran into Iraq has left the Donald Trump administration nervous about sustaining a long-term US presence in the war-weary nation.
A suspected Israeli strike against an Iran-backed convoy crossing the border between Iraq and Syria on Sunday night prompted the Pentagon to rush out a rare statement denying American involvement. The attack on the convoy, which was en route to Damascus, Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) bases and ammunition dumps, killed nine Shiite militants.