Iraqi Prime Minister: No Further Need for US Troops in Iraq

17 September

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani has stated that there is no longer a need for the presence of US troops in Iraq, and a timetable for their withdrawal will soon be announced. In an interview with Bloomberg, al-Sudani emphasized that Iraq has transitioned from conflict to stability and that the terrorist group "Islamic State" (IS, banned in Russia) no longer poses a significant threat.

 

Al-Sudani pointed out that joint US-Iraqi operations against IS remnants have demonstrated the capability of Iraq’s security forces to manage the fight against terrorism independently. He also expressed confidence that Iraq and the US will continue to cooperate in security and economic matters even after the troop withdrawal.

 

A report by The Washington Post on September 13 suggested that a small unit of US forces might remain in Iraq following the departure of the broader coalition forces. Earlier, a Reuters report mentioned an agreement between Washington and Baghdad stipulating that coalition troops should leave Iraq by September 2025, though details have not been fully disclosed.

 

In January 2020, Iraq’s parliament passed a resolution demanding the full withdrawal of all foreign troops. By March 2021, the number of US forces in Iraq was reported to be fewer than 2,500. Although the international coalition completed its withdrawal in December 2021, military advisors remain in Iraq.

 

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

Photo: Defence-Imagery/Pixabay

Based on materials from TASS