Iran Press/Middle East: US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, arrived in Baghdad Wednesday, as chaos swirled along the Turkey-Syria border and Iraqi leaders chafed over reports the US may want to increase the number of troops based in Iraq at least temporarily, AP reported.
Esper has said that under the current plan, all US troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq and the military would continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence in the region. He later added that the troops would be there temporarily until they are able to go home, but no time period has been set. He said that the US has no plans to leave those troops in Iraq “interminably.”
Iraq’s military, however, said Tuesday that US troops leaving Syria and heading to neighboring Iraq do not have permission to stay in the country, even as the American forces continue to pull out of northern Syria after Turkey’s invasion of the border region. Esper said Wednesday he plans to talk with Iraqi leaders about the matter.
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