Americans hand over Q-West base as ISIS fight winds down
MYLES B. CAGGINS III/TWITTER
By CHAD GARLAND | STARS AND STRIPES Published: March 26, 2020
Iraqi military leaders, clad in camouflage and surgical masks, accepted the handover of the U.S.-occupied side of Qayara Airfield West, known as Q-West, on Thursday.
The long-planned transfer of the base, located 40 miles south of Mosul, and about $1.7 million in equipment, took place amid a pause in the U.S.-led coalition’s training of Iraqi forces and a temporary withdrawal of some foreign forces from the country because of coronavirus fears.
Despite those concerns, U.S. and Iraqi officials shook hands — the Iraqis with gloves.
https://www.stripes.com/news/americans-hand-over-q-west-base-as-isis-fight-winds-down-1.623754
