US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday the United States does not intend to seize Iraqi oil, shifting away from an idea proposed by President Donald Trump that has rattled Iraq\u2019s leaders.<\/p>\n
Mattis\u2019 arrived on an unannounced visit in Iraq as the battle to oust Daesh militants from western Mosul moved into its second day, and as the Pentagon considers ways to accelerate the campaign against Daesh in Iraq and Syria.<\/p>\n
Those efforts could be complicated by Trump\u2019s oil threat and his inclusion of Iraq in the administration\u2019s travel ban \u2014 twin blows that have roiled the nation and spurred local lawmakers to pressure Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi to reduce cooperation with Washington.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think all of us here in this room, all of us in America have generally paid for our gas and oil all along, and I\u2019m sure that we will continue to do that in the future,\u201d Mattis told reporters traveling with him. \u201cWe\u2019re not in Iraq to seize anybody\u2019s oil.\u201d<\/p>\n
His comments may provide some reassurance to the Iraqis. But the tensions come at a critical point in the war against Daesh, with two key battles in the works: the fight to take control of west Mosul, and the start of a campaign in Syria to oust Daesh from Raqqa, the capital of its self-declared caliphate.<\/p>\n
Al-Abadi has taken a measured approach, but the issues can roil already difficult internal politics.<\/p>\n
Under the president\u2019s deadline, Mattis has just a week to send Trump a strategy to accelerate the fight and defeat the Daesh group. And any plan is likely to depend on US and coalition troops working with and through the local forces in both countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to make certain that we\u2019ve got good situational awareness of what we face as we work together and fight alongside each other,\u201d Mattis said.<\/p>\n
His key goal during the visit is to speak about the military operations with political leaders and commanders on the ground, including his top commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend.<\/p>\n
Asked about the tensions, Mattis said he has been assured that the travel ban \u2014 it has been stalled by a legal challenge \u2014 would not affect Iraqis who have fought alongside US forces.<\/p>\n
The oil issue, however, may be more difficult. Trump brought it up during the campaign, and he mentioned it again late last month during a visit to the CIA.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the victor belong the spoils,\u201d Trump told members of the intelligence community. He said he first argued this case for \u201ceconomic reasons,\u201d but added it made sense as a counterterrorism approach to defeating Daesh \u201cbecause that\u2019s where they made their money in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we should have kept the oil,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, OK, maybe you\u2019ll have another chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump, however, has also been clear that defeating Daesh is a top priority. In his inauguration address, he pledged to eradicate radical Islamic terrorism \u201ccompletely from the face of the Earth.\u201d And he talked during the campaign about greatly increasing the number of US troops in order to \u201cknock out\u201d Daesh.<\/p>\n
He signed an order Jan. 28 that gives Mattis and senior military leaders 30 days to come up with a new plan to beef up the fight.<\/p>\n
Mattis would not discuss specifics, saying he wants to gather information first. But he has been talking with military leaders about the possible options, and has largely supported the US strategy of fighting IS with and through local forces.<\/p>\n
The military options range from putting more troops in Iraq and Syria to boosting military aid to Kurdish fighters backed by the US-led coalition.<\/p>\n
More specifically, officials have talked about expanding efforts to train, advise and enable local Iraqi and Syrian forces, increasing intelligence and surveillance, and allowing US troops to move forward more frequently with Iraqi soldiers nearer the front lines.<\/p>\n
The Pentagon also would like more freedom to make daily decisions about how it fights the enemy. Former and current US officials discussed the likely options on condition of anonymity because they weren\u2019t authorized to talk publicly.<\/p>\n
In Syria, a possible option would be sending more US forces, including combat troops, there as the Raqqa fight heats up.<\/p>\n
Another move would be to provide heavy weapons and vehicles to the US-backed Syrian Kurds, known as the YPG, and boost training. They have been the most effective force against Daesh in northern and eastern Syria, but the proposal is sensitive. Turkey, a key US and NATO ally, considers the group a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n
There are more than 5,100 US forces in Iraq, and up to about 500 in Syria.<\/p>\n
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