Iraq says diplomatic missions safe despite U.S. embassy evacuation

BAGHDAD, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi authorities said on Thursday that all foreign diplomatic missions operating in the country are fully secure, noting that the evacuation of the U.S. embassy from Iraq is unrelated to any actual security threats.

The U.S. embassy's decision to withdraw some staff, whether from Baghdad or elsewhere in the Middle East, is "an internal procedural and precautionary measure specific to them and is not related to any actual security threats within Iraqi territory," Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, told the official Iraqi News Agency.

All diplomatic missions are operating in a highly secure environment in Iraq, al-Numan said.

He also noted that the Iraqi security forces are implementing plans to maintain security and stability across the country, and that "current intelligence and field reports do not indicate any active threats that would affect the operations of diplomatic missions or the general situation in the country."

Al-Numan made the remarks after the U.S. embassy in Baghdad confirmed that the U.S. Department of State had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from the mission in Iraq due to heightened regional tensions.

In a statement, the U.S. embassy in Iraq also warned its citizens against traveling to Iraq due to "terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and the U.S. government's limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq."

"Anti-U.S. militias threaten U.S. citizens and international companies. Attacks using improvised explosive devices, indirect fire, and unmanned aerial vehicles occur in many areas, including major cities," the statement said.

Meanwhile, a source from the Iraqi Interior Ministry, who requested anonymity, told Xinhua that "the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad has begun."

The source added that some U.S. employees were transported by military helicopters from their offices to Victoria military base near Baghdad International Airport, from where they would proceed to Ayn al-Asad Airbase in Iraq's western Anbar province before leaving the country.

According to media reports, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh threatened on Wednesday to target U.S. bases in the region if conflict breaks out between the two countries over Tehran's nuclear program. Enditem