President Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi. |
Biden declares the US withdrawal forces from Iraq by the end of the year in an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi.
President Joe Biden meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to leave US forces by the end of the year.
There are 2,500 American soldiers in Iraq fighting the last elements of the Islamic State.
"Our cooperation will continue even as we move into this new phase," Biden said.
Al-Kadhimi insisted that Iraq no longer needed the help of US combat forces
Biden's latest announcement comes as the United States continues to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan
The Taliban has surged across the country ahead of the August 31 deadline for troop withdrawal
Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi declared that they had reached an agreement to end the US military's forces mission in Iraq by the end of the year, more than 18 years after sending US troops.
There are 2,500 US troops in Iraq helping local forces confront the threat from the remaining elements of the Islamic State.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Biden said, "Our counterterrorism cooperation will continue even as we move into this new phase."
Al-Kadhimi insisted that Iraq no longer needs the help of US combat forces and said, "Our relationship today is stronger than ever. Our cooperation is for the economy, the environment, health, education, culture, and more.
A senior administration official said that the United States would continue to play a supporting role in Iraq against ISIS groups.
"As we are officially ending the combat mission and making it clear that there are no US forces with a combat role in the country. Iraq has requested, and we fully agree, that they need ongoing training; logistical and intelligence support, and advisory capacity building - all of which will continue," the official said.
The US mission in recent years has dominated in helping defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
No one will announce that the mission has been accomplished. The goal, the senior administration official said, is the enduring defeat of ISIS.
The US troop presence had stabilized at around 2,500 since late last year when former President Donald Trump ordered a drawdown of 3,000 troops.
Post a Comment