Agreement to withdraw most troops in two stages within two years
The United States has agreed to withdraw most of its troops from Iraq by 2026, but will leave a small number of troops behind to counter Iran-backed militias.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 12th (local time), Iraqi Defense Minister Thabith al-Abashi announced that the United States has agreed to withdraw approximately 2,500 troops currently stationed in Iraq in two stages.
“Phase 1 will start this year and last until 2025, and Phase 2 will end in 2026,” Minister Al-Abashi said.
However, it was decided to leave a small residual force in the northern Kurdish region to counter Iran-backed militias.
A small U.S. force is expected to remain in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region to ensure the security of Iraqi Kurds against Iran-backed militias that have extensive influence in the rest of Iraq, an Iraqi military official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Washington Post.
The U.S. Department of Defense and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder declined to comment when asked at a briefing that day whether the plan outlined by Iraqi officials was accurate from a U.S. perspective.
The US military deployed troops to Iraq in 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime. They withdrew in 2011, but were sent back to Iraq in 2014 to counter the rise of the Islamic State (IS).
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2024-09-13 19:41:29