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Baghdad – US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a lightning visit to Iraq ahead of the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. He met with Prime Minister Mohammad Al-Sudani and announced that US forces would remain in Iraq if the government requested. He offered support to efforts to counter Iran.
US forces entered Iraq on March 20, 2003, accusing Saddam Hussein’s regime of storing weapons of mass destruction. They withdrew in 2011 when Saddam’s regime ended. 2,500 US troops have been kept in Iraq to help in the fight against IS terrorists.
English Summary: US defense secretary Lloyd Austin makes unannounced visit to Iraq