The U.S. bluntly rejects a request by Iraq's caretaker prime minister to start working out a road map for an American troop withdrawal. Instead, the U.S. State Department said the two sides should talk about how to “recommit” to their partnership.
Anti government protesters chant anti Iran and anti U.S. slogans under a big Iraqi flag that they carry during the ongoing protests in Tahrir square, Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Jan. 10, 2020.
He asked Pompeo to “send delegates to Iraq to prepare a mechanism” to carry out the Iraqi Parliament’s resolution on withdrawing foreign troops, according to the statement. On Friday, the U.S. State Department flatly dismissed the request. It said the presence of U.S. troops was crucial for the fight against the Islamic State group and it would not discuss removing them.
There are some 5,200 U.S. troops in Iraq assisting and providing training to Iraqi security counter-parts to fight the Islamic State group. An American pullout could deeply set back efforts to crush remnants of the group amid concerns of a resurgence amid the political turmoil. Ortagus did not elaborate. Iraq is highly dependent on Iran sanctions waivers from Washington to continue importing Iranian gas to meet electricity demands, and the U.S. has consistently used this as leverage in the past. The current waiver expires in February, and without a new one, Iraq could face severe penalties.
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