[1]Iraqi PM al-Kadhimi: Iraq does not need US combat troops
Aljazeera:[2] Iraq’s prime minister has said his country no longer requires American combat troops to fight ISIL (ISIS), but a formal timeframe for their redeployment will depend on the outcome of talks with US officials this week.
[3] Mustafa al-Kadhimi said in an interview with The Associated Press news agency that Iraq will still ask for US training and military intelligence gathering, but will seek a timeline for the withdrawal of combat troops, which was announced in April amid ongoing talks between Washington and Baghdad.
[4] “There is no need for any foreign combat forces on Iraqi soil,” he said in the interview published on Sunday before a planned trip to Washington, where he is slated to meet President Joe Biden on Monday for a fourth round of strategic talks.
[5] “The war against IS [ISIL] and the readiness of our forces requires a special timetable, and this depends on the negotiations that we will conduct in Washington,” he added.
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Al-Kadhimi will visit the White House amid growing pressure, particularly from Shia political groups, for a reduced US role in the country.
That sentiment has been stoked by the US-directed drone attack that killed powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis on Iraqi soil last year.
Increased attacks by Iran-aligned militias in Iraq on US installations has further underscored al-Kadhimi’s limited control over powerful actors in Iraq.
Meanwhile, the threat of an ISIL resurgence remains ever-present in Iraq, with al-Kadhimi careful to stress Baghdad is not seeking a full withdrawal.
“What we want from the US presence in Iraq is to support our forces in training and developing their efficiency and capabilities, and in security cooperation,” al-Kadhimi said.