The first step to withdrawing from Iraq

Unlike the real, actual pullout of American troops from Afghanistan, the U.S. aren't planning on doing a withdrawal from Iraq anytime soon. However, this is a first step towards the door.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and U.S. President Joe Biden are expected to announce the full withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of this year. The announcement is set to be made as Biden hosts Kadhimi at the White House today.

Although the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has become a fraught topic in Washington, the Iraq withdrawal is unlikely to cause the same headaches—not least because the announcement is unlikely, in practice, to remove many of the 2,500 U.S. troops currently stationed there. As the New York Times reports, the withdrawal will mostly take place on paper, with many U.S. service members reclassified as serving in an advisory or training capacity.

This is the very least the U.S. could do. The Iraqi PM is under immense pressure to get America to withdraw it's troops. An election is fast approaching in Iraq, and if al-Kadhimi can't produce a big enough concession on this issue from Biden he'll likely be voted out. Then we'll have to deal with a much more hostile PM (I believe this is what will happen).
If and when we finally pull out of Iraq, our illegal occupation of eastern Syria will become unsustainable.

U.S. troops have been under attack in Iraq and Syria by drones and missiles for weeks now. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

smart enough to withdraw. Getting a hostile PM might do us some good, however. Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

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