The US will call back some 2,200 soldiers from Iraq by the end ofSeptember, a top commander announced on Wednesday.
Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, told reporters thatthe number of US troops in Iraq will be brought down from about 5,200 to3,000, according to the BBC.
He said the remaining soldiers will continue to cooperate with Iraqisecurity forces in efforts for “rooting out the final remnants” of theDaesh/ISIS terror group.
Last month, US President Donald Trump reiterated his desire to call backall American troops from Iraq, saying the withdrawal would take place assoon as possible.
During his 2016 presidential election campaign, Donald Trump pledgedspecifically to reduce the United States’ foreign military involvement,gradually taking steps towards the goal by withdrawing servicemen fromconflict zones where US troops are dispatched.
US President Donald Trump is set to announce “further troop withdrawals”from Iraq on Wednesday, according to White House pool reporters, citing anunnamed senior administration source.
Along with that, another statement on Afghanistan will be given “in thecoming days”.
“A senior administration official told reporters on Air Force One to expectan announcement tomorrow on further troop withdrawals from Iraq, andanother announcement in the coming days about Afghanistan,” White Housereporter for the Los Angeles Times Chris Megerian tweeted Tuesday.
A senior administration official told reporters on Air Force One to expectan announcement tomorrow on further troop withdrawals from Iraq, andanother announcement in the coming days about Afghanistan.
— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) September 9, 2020
The reduction of troops’ numbers in foreign countries was one of Trump’skey campaign pledges, with POTUS stressing his opposition to “endlesswars” recently.
Currently, around 5,200 American troops are located in Iraq, justified by agoal to fight remnants of Daesh* in the area. In August, The Wall StreetJournal reported that the US will be reducing its troops in Iraq byone-third, to about 3,500, due to the shift from combating Daesh* todeveloping Iraq’s own security forces. The unnamed sources cited in thereport claimed that the withdrawal was connected with the upcoming USpresidential election.