Talks to begin on the future of U.S. troop presence in Iraq
By Meghann Myers
Thursday, Jan 25
Nearly 21 years after the U.S. first invaded Iraq, a decade after American troops returned to beat back ISIS, and seven years after U.S. and Iraqi forces ended the ISIS caliphate, the governments of the United States and Iraq are sitting down to discuss if, when and how the remaining 2, 500 U.S. troops will officially leave the country once again.
The so-called Iraq Higher Military Commission convened for the first time Thursday to chart a path forward for U.S. troops there, according to a statement issued by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The commission will “discuss how the Coalition’s mission to defeat ISIS will transition on a timeline that considers three key factors: the threat from ISIS, operational and environmental requirements, and the Iraqi security forces’ capability levels,” Austin said.
Still, the U.S. and Iraq appeared to begin the talks on different pages Thursday.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2024/01/25/talks-begin-on-the-future-of-us-troop-presence-in-iraq/
