ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - With the launch of the first phase of the international coalition’s withdrawal from Iraq, marked by the departure of the first US unit from al-Asad base in Anbar, many minority communities have expressed concern that the pullout could lead to chaos and instability.

Yazidis fear a security vacuum

Yazidi lawmaker Mahma Khalil said the community remains deeply worried. “Any hasty US withdrawal from Iraq at this critical stage could have dangerous repercussions for religious and ethnic minorities, particularly the Yazidis,” he told The New Region.

“We do not look at the international presence in Iraq from a narrow political angle, but from a security and humanitarian perspective,” Khalil said. “Minorities that suffered the worst crimes at the hands of ISIS [Islamic State] still live in fear of terrorism returning or of armed groups outside state control gaining influence. A US withdrawal without realistic alternatives will create a dangerous security and political vacuum, and minorities may be the first victims.”

Khalil noted that “the Yazidi community is still suffering from the effects of genocide, with tens of thousands of displaced people who have not yet returned to their areas due to the lack of security guarantees and basic services. Any decline in international support for Iraq will obstruct reconstruction efforts and deepen the suffering of survivors.”

Christians share concerns

Former lawmaker Joseph Sliwa, who leads the Assyrian Patriotic Party, also confirmed fears among Christians about the timing of the US withdrawal, while expressing trust in the decisions made by the Iraqi government.

“The opinion of minorities regarding the US withdrawal from Iraq aligns with that of the Iraqi government,” he told The New Region. “There are agreements and timelines between Baghdad and Washington, but the picture is not entirely clear. Is this a true withdrawal, or merely a repositioning of US forces? These troops have not left Baghdad or other Iraqi cities yet. Instead, they are working on redeployment and military repositioning.”

Sliwa said that despite shortcomings in governance, “minorities believe in the state and the decisions made through its institutions. We respect any official agreement between the Iraqi government and the US if it serves Iraq’s national interest.”

“Minorities share the same concerns as other Iraqis. Struggles over positions, spoils, and control of the state continue, with each faction trying to impose its will on the others,” he added.

The withdrawal might lead to new disasters on top of existing ones, creating more political, security, and economic chaos. Since the US has been the sponsor of Iraq’s political process since 2003, its departure could spark further crises. “That is why we, as minorities, are concerned,” Sliwa noted.

Turkmens warn of Israeli strikes

Turkmen leader and former lawmaker Fawzi Akram Terzi voiced a different perspective, saying that while the community itself does not fear the withdrawal, the wider consequences could be severe.

“Since 2003 until now, Turkmens have suffered injustice, marginalization, and exclusion by the dominant political parties,” Terzi told The New Region. “The US has provided no support to the Turkmens of Iraq over these years, even though they are the country’s third-largest ethnic group.”

He said the main fear is that the withdrawal might destabilize Iraq’s internal security. “It could also open the door for Israel to launch attacks on various targets in Iraq, including factions, Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF], and sensitive sites. This is the core of our fear regarding the US withdrawal at this time.”