Hussein Allawi, adviser to outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, speaks during an interview with Al Hadath television about reports of alleged Israeli military activity in Iraq’s Najaf desert.
Advisor to Iraqi PM denies WSJ report of secret Israeli military base
BAGHDAD — An adviser to outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani denied Sunday that Israel operated a secret military base inside Iraq, saying a deadly incident in the Najaf desert in March was linked to an attempted retrieval of an object that “fell from the sky” during the regional conflict.
Hussein Allawi, speaking on Al Hadath television, said the March 5 incident involved an unidentified force that entered the desert to recover an unspecified object. Iraqi security forces moved toward the site after a shepherd reported unusual activity. The operation resulted in one Iraqi soldier killed, two wounded and two army Humvees damaged.
“Something fell in the Iraqi desert during the war taking place in the region, and there was an attempt to retrieve it,” Allawi said. “The intelligence information provided by the shepherd, and the alertness of Karbala Operations Command and the security forces that headed toward the target, thwarted the attempt.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Israel had established a clandestine outpost in Iraq’s western desert before its war with Iran, citing U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter. The newspaper said the site served as a logistical hub for Israeli air force operations and housed special forces and search-and-rescue teams, and that Israeli forces launched airstrikes to prevent Iraqi troops from reaching it after the shepherd’s tip.
Allawi rejected the account. “What was reported by The Wall Street Journal about the operation in the Najaf desert is inaccurate,” he said. “The information about the presence of a base and the deployment of unidentified forces is incorrect. The maps and images shown by foreign media are also inaccurate.”
He said Iraqi authorities initially suspected the force belonged to the international coalition, but coalition officials denied involvement. Iraq subsequently handled the matter through its relationship with the United States and the coalition on a diplomatic track, he said.
“There is no Israeli military base in Iraq,” Allawi said. “We do not allow the presence of a military base for the Israeli entity or any other party.”
Iraq’s Joint Operations Command had condemned the March attack at the time, saying it was carried out “without coordination or approval.” The Wall Street Journal also reported that Iraq submitted a complaint to the United Nations attributing the attack to foreign forces, though a person familiar with the matter told the newspaper the United States was not involved.