ADDS COMMENTS FROM KIRBY TO ANADOLU IN GRAF 4-5
By Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - Contradicting an earlier statement, the US on Monday said it did not inform the Iraqi government before carrying out last weeks’ airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed militias in the country.
“As for this specific response on Friday, there was not a pre-notification, we informed the Iraqis immediately after the strikes occurred,” US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
But on Friday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the US had informed the Iraqi government "prior to the strikes occurring.”
Kirby said in a statement provided to Anadolu by the council on Monday that he "responded with information that I had been provided at the time."
"It was not as specific as it could have been, and I regret any confusion caused. That said, we had made no secret – both to Iraqi officials and in public channels – that we would respond to the attacks on our troops," he said. "And, we did, in fact, officially notify Iraq, as appropriate with standard procedure.”
The US launched airstrikes on Friday against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria after a suicide drone attack killed three American troops in Jordan.
In all, more than 85 targets were hit, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
Baghdad denied on Saturday any prior coordination with the US on its latest strikes in Iraq.
American aircraft bombed Iraqi bases in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions as well as civilian neighborhoods nearby, said Iraqi government spokesman Bassem Al-Awadi.
In doing so, "the American administration committed a new aggression against the sovereignty of Iraq," the Iraqi News Agency said, quoting Awadi.
*Michael Hernandez contributed to this report