US Military
US to reduce military presence in Iraq to 3,000 in Sept: CENTCOM Commander
Washington/Sputnik: The United States will remove around 2,200 troops from Iraq by the end of this month in a significant drawdown of its military presence in the country, Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Frank McKenzie said on Wednesday.
“In recognition of the great progress the Iraqi forces have made and in consultation and coordination with the government of Iraq and our coalition partners, the United States has decided to reduce our troop presence in Iraq from about 5,200 to 3,000 troops during the month of September,” McKenzie said during a change of command ceremony in Baghdad, as quoted by the Military Times.
Late Tuesday, a senior administration official said US President Donald Trump would announce a significant reduction in the military presence in Iraq later on Wednesday and in Afghanistan in the coming days.
The remaining US troops in Iraq will continue their current mission by providing assistance and advising their local partners, the general added.
He also expressed confidence in the capability of Iraqi forces to prevent the Islamic State (IS, terrorist group, banned in Russia) from making a resurgence and to maintain security in the country.
On June 11, the US and Iraq held the first "strategic dialogue" meeting.
After the talks, the US confirmed that it would continue reducing its military strength in the Middle Eastern country following the Iraqi parliament’s vote to expel all foreign forces.
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