White House: US forces no longer in combat roles in Iraq
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The White House has released a statement announcing that US soldiers are no longer in combat roles in Iraq, and that combat forces will be present at the invitation of the government.
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US soldiers guarding an air base northwest of Kirkuk, northern Iraq, in March (AFP)
On Monday, in a spokesperson briefing, the White House assured Iraqi officials that "there are no longer US forces serving in a combat role in Iraq."
US Deputy Assistant to the President, Brett McGurk, who is also the coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa affairs, concluded a two-day visit to Iraq, during which he met a group of political and security leaders.
In Baghdad, McGurk met with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, as well as former parliament speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi, also meeting with Nechirvan Barzani in Erbil, who is the President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.
In the statement, the Deputy Assistant "confirmed President Biden’s commitment to the results of the Strategic Dialogue with the Government of Iraq, underscoring that there are no longer US forces serving in a combat role in Iraq," continuing to say "this transition was made possible because of the tremendous progress achieved by Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga, in leading the fight against ISIS."
Furthermore, the statement asserted that the remnants of the coalition forces are available at the invitation of the government, "Coalition forces remaining in Iraq will be present at the invitation of the Government with a mission limited to advising, assisting and enabling the Iraqi Security Forces to ensure ISIS can never resurge."
