Iran Press/ Middle East: Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi says his country no longer requires American combat troops to fight ISIS, but a formal time frame for their redeployment will depend on the outcome of talks with US officials this week.
According to NBC News, al-Kazemi said Iraq will still ask for US training and military intelligence gathering. His comments came in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of a planned trip to Washington, where he’s slated to meet with President Joe Biden on Monday for the fourth round of strategic talks.
“There is no need for any foreign combat forces on Iraqi soil,” said al-Kazemi, falling short of announcing a deadline for a US troop departure. Iraq’s security forces and army are capable of defending the country without US-led coalition troops," he said.
But al-Kazemi said any withdrawal schedule would be based on the needs of Iraqi forces, who have shown themselves capable in the last year of conducting independent anti-ISIS missions.
“The war against ISIS and the readiness of our forces requires a special timetable, and this depends on the negotiations that we will conduct in Washington,” he said.
214/206
Read More:
Iraqi officials, groups emphasize the withdrawal of US troops.
