US to end combat mission in Iraq by end of year: President Joe Biden

TIL Desk/World/Washington/ US President Joe Biden said on Monday that American forces in Iraq will end the combat mission by the end of the year while continuing to train and assist Iraqi forces.

“Our role in Iraq will be… continue to train, to assist, to help and to deal with ISIS (Islamic State) as it rises, but we’re not going to be, by the end of the year, in a combat mission,” Biden said at the beginning of a meeting in the Oval Office with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

“Our counter-terrorism cooperation will continue even as we shift to this new phase,” he said. Al-Kadhimi told a leading media outlet ahead of the visit that there is no need for any foreign combat forces staying in Iraq.

“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,” he said.

There are now around 2,500 US troops in Iraq. White House Press Secretary on Monday declined to provide the number of troops staying in Iraq at the end of the year.