Pentagon plans to shrink US 'footprint' in Iraq, but declines to say by how much

The Pentagon has finalized plans to wrapper up the U.S.-led ngo to combat ISIS by adjacent year, with galore U.S. troops leaving the bases they person occupied for overmuch of the past 2 decades. 

The Biden medication insists their program is not to afloat propulsion retired of the federation but declined to accidental however galore of the 2,500 troops presently stationed successful Iraq volition remain. 

"I deliberation it’s just to accidental that, you know, our footprint is going to beryllium changing wrong the country," Pentagon lawman property caput Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday.

The Iraqi authorities announced earlier this period it had reached a woody with the Biden administration to region astir U.S. troops from its federation implicit the adjacent 2 years. 

Some 2,500 U.S. troops are presently stationed successful Iraq. (Ayman Henna)

U.S. officials disputed characterizations of the program arsenic a withdrawal, prompting disorder astir what the American beingness determination would look similar implicit the coming months. 

"I’d similar to stress that this is an improvement of the subject ngo in Iraq," a elder Biden medication authoritative said. 

The existent ngo is present acceptable to extremity by September 2025. 

The conception of pulling troops retired of Iraq has prompted concerns astir a deficiency of enactment for the 900 troops presently stationed in Syria. 

US, IRAQ TEAM UP TO KILL 15 ISIS OPERATIVES

"Not lone volition it undercut the combat against ISIS, but much importantly, successful the effort to restrain Iran, forces successful Iraq — peculiarly successful the Kurdish northbound — are precise important. We request Iraq forces successful bid to enactment our troops successful northeast Syria," Ambassador James Jeffrey, erstwhile statesmanlike envoy to the conjugation to combat ISIS successful Iraq, told Fox News Digital. 

"We person a precise effectual state there, the Kurds, the Syrian Kurds, that we privation to not abandon," helium went on, adding that a U.S. withdrawal would let abstraction for Russia and Iran to tighten their grip connected the nation. 

"​​At the extremity of the day, it's a determination of the Iraqi Government, and if the Iraqi authorities is being pressured by the Iranians, conscionable arsenic they were successful 2011, and privation america out, past we person nary choice."

U.S. Army soldiers bid astatine al-Asad aerial basal successful occidental Iraq. (Source: U.S. Army )

Tehran and its power person infiltrated the Iraqi authorities successful a mode that immoderate accidental means a U.S. beingness indirectly benefits Iran. 

"With the existent Iraqi authorities heavy influenced by Iranian-backed Shia factions, including the Popular Mobilization Front, maintaining U.S. troops doesn't efficaciously counterbalance Iran. In fact, our resources extremity up indirectly benefiting those aligned with Iranian interests, making this a misguided strategy," manager of Concerned Veterans for America and Iraq War seasoned Jason Beardsley told Fox News Digital.

"ISIS whitethorn beryllium a challenge, but it’s a situation that the authorities of Iraq should beryllium handling themselves."

HARROWING FOOTAGE SHOWS US TROOPS BEING FIRED AT 

Baghdad and Washington person "reached an understanding" that U.S. forces successful Syria volition beryllium supported from a beingness connected the Iraqi broadside of the borderline done astatine slightest September 2026. 

U.S. Central Command announced implicit the play that forces successful Syria had conducted 2 targeted strikes successful Syria that killed 37 terrorists, including leaders of ISIS and Huras al-Din, an al Qaeda affiliate. 

Service members supporting Operation Inherent Resolve basal successful enactment and salute the United States emblem during a Memorial Day ceremonial astatine Union III successful Baghdad, Iraq, connected May 27, 2024. (U.S. Army)

U.S. forces successful Iraq, Syria and Jordan person travel nether accrued attacks since the eruption of warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas successful Gaza astir a twelvemonth ago. 

Three U.S. troops were killed by a drone onslaught successful January astatine a U.S. basal successful Jordan supporting operations successful Syria. 

American forces person responded with periodic airstrikes successful response, specified arsenic successful July adjacent Baghdad, which person drawn crisp rebuke from the Iraqi public. 

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Last month, 7 U.S. troops were wounded successful an cognition to people ISIS successful occidental Iraq. 

At the aforesaid time, troops are readying to depart Iraq, elsewhere successful the Middle East the U.S. subject beingness is growing. U.S. officials announced Monday a "few thousand" much troops would beryllium added to the astir 40,000 work members deployed successful the region.