Trump to pull 1,700 US troops from Iraq, reducing US presence by a third

[Elderberry]

American Military News by Ryan Morgan   August 28, 2020

Report: Trump to pull 1,700 US troops from Iraq, reducing US presence by a third

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates as more information becomes available.

President Donald Trump is planning to reduce its troop presence in Iraq by about a third, from 5,200 to about 3,500, according to unnamed U.S. officials who spoke with the Wall Street Journal.

Those officials who spoke with the Journal said President Trump is expected to order the reduction of about 1,700 troops deployed in Iraq and they said the reduction will take place in the next two to three months.

Both Pentagon and Iraqi officials have declined requests by the Journal to provide an official comment on the reported troop reduction.

The does, however, come after the U.S. and Iraq issued a joint statement last week stating the U.S. mission in Iraq should shift from fighting ISIS to “training, equipping, and supporting the Iraqi Security Forces.”

More: https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/08/report-trump-to-pull-1700-us-troops-from-iraq-reducing-us-presence-by-a-third/