Former Iraqi defence ministry adviser Maen al-Jubouri said Israeli military movements in Iraq’s desert areas were carried out under US cover, accusing Washington of having “deceived” officials in Baghdad.
Speaking in a media interview on Sunday, al-Jubouri said the discovery of a second alleged Israeli base in Iraq was “less shocking” than the discovery of the first and did not come as a major surprise.
“These bases were imposed by the circumstances the region went through. We know Iraq has been a theatre for many operational and military activities,” he said.
He added that Iraq’s military geography had given both Israel and the United States room to operate freely.
Asked whether he truly believed Israeli bases existed in Iraq, al-Jubouri said: “Those bases operated under American cover.”
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“The equipment, weapons and cover were clearly American. Any US military operations in Iraq were permitted on the basis that they were specialised missions carried out in coordination with senior Iraqi authorities, specifically the General Command of the Armed Forces. Therefore, it was not easy for all security and military agencies to know what was happening,” he added.
Responding to a question on whether US-Iraq agreements allowed Washington to use soldiers of other nationalities for missions inside Iraq, al-Jubouri said this was possible within the framework of the international coalition and that such activities existed.
However, he added: “Israel is not included, and I do not believe it can establish a base inside Iraq.”
Al-Jubouri said the American cover had provided “significant camouflage” in the region and misled the Iraqi side into believing the movements were US operations linked to the conflict involving Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other. He added that Iraq’s lack of advanced surveillance capabilities had contributed to the failure to detect such movements.
He said the issue was embarrassing for the Iraqi government, the armed forces, security agencies and Iraqi diplomacy.
READ: Iraqi security official denies reports of secret Israeli base in Iraq’s desert
