US-led alliance to hand over major military base next week, says Iraq

Baghdad [Iraq], January 1: Iraq on Wednesday said it would take over a major military facility next week from a US-led global alliance fighting the Islamic State (IS) terrorists, an issue that has long been a bone of contention in the country.
Deputy Commander of Iraq's Joint Operations Command, Lieutenant General Qais Al-Muhammadawi, said the anti-IS coalition would hand over to the Iraqi security forces the Ain al-Asad military base in western Iraq and there would be bilateral pacts between Baghdad with several members of the alliance including the US, France and Britain. "The Ain Al-Asad base will witness next week a complete withdrawal and will be handed over to our Iraqi forces," Al-Muhammadawi said in Baghdad.
"This is an achievement pertaining to the Iraqi capabibilities, and Iraqi sovereignty as well as understanding with the US and [other] countries of the alliance on turning the mission into bilaterial memorandums for exchanging expertise and information, and for training," he added without further details. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune