US to slash number of troops in Iraq by about one-third: Report
The Pentagon is planning to decrease the number of American troops in Iraq by about one-third, a report says.
The Wall Street Journal cited American officials as saying that the number of the American troops stationed in Iraq would decrease from the current approximately 5,200 to about 3,500 over the next two to three months.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi visited Washington last week, discussing, among other things, the US obligation to pull out its forces from the country in accordance with a mandate issued by the Iraqi parliament in January.
Anti-American sentiments have been running high in Iraq since the US assassinated Iranian commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and the second-in-command of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on January 3.
Just two days later, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously passed a bill mandating the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq.
Last Sunday, US troops withdrew from the Taji base north of the Iraqi capital and handed it over to Iraqi security forces.
Despite the Iraqi parliament’s mandate for the withdrawal of foreign troops, US President Donald Trump is likely to use any pullout to claim progress toward ending American wars abroad, a promise that he made during his 2016 presidential campaign but that he never fulfilled.
More than 17 years after the US invasion of Iraq, Trump has said he would withdraw all American troops from the country but has not provided a timetable. His term in office comes to an end this year.
Iraq sends letters to regional, intl. organizations over Israeli threats
MP: US accountable for possible Israeli 'foolishness' to attack Iraq
PM Sudani slams Israeli letter to UNSC as ‘pretext to justify aggression against Iraq’
Israel launches air strikes on Syria-Lebanon border crossing
Russia: Comprehensive deal with Iran will include defense, security ties
VIDEO | Israeli embassy shooting in Jordan leaves gunman dead, 3 police injured
VIDEO | Paris march in support of Palestine women
VIDEO | ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, ousted regime war minister
120 Palestinians perish as Israeli war machine keeps ravaging Gaza
VIDEO | Struggles of Palestinian women amidst war, displacement
VIDEO | Hezbollah rains attack drones down on elite Israeli brigade
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
