US Patriot missiles file image
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) officially confirmed the deployment of new Patriot missile systems to Iraq.
In a statement on April 2, Bill Urban, a spokesman for CENTCOM confirmed the deployment, saying the US military would not provide further status updates on the movement of Patriot missile systems into Iraq for security reasons.
“The US military continues to coordinate the effort with its Iraqi partners,” he said, adding, “The Iraqi Government is well aware of our collective need for air defense protection of service members within Iraq”.
Additionally, Pentagon spokesman Commander Sean Robertson said that “for operational security reasons, we are not providing status updates as those systems come online.”
The deployment goes contrary to the position of the Iraqi Parliament that demands the US withdrawal from the country.
The second name of the al-Habbaniyeh base is al-Taqaddum. Click to see the full-size image
Meanwhile, the US military continued regrouping its forces in the country. US troops already withdrew from the bases of al-Qaim, K1 (Kirkuk), al-Qayyarah. On April 4, US forces are set to start withdrawing from the 4th base – al-Habbaniyeh, located in the province of al-Anbar.
