Joe Biden formalizes the end of the combat mission of the American troops in Iraq

Published on : 07/26/2021 – 21:51

US President Joe Biden said Monday, July 26, that the United States would cease its “combat mission” in Iraq by the end of the year, to begin a “new phase” of military cooperation with the country.

“We will not be at the end of the year in a combat mission” in Iraq but “our cooperation against terrorism will continue even in this new phase, which we are discussing”, said Joe Biden, alongside the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazimi, whom he received at the White House, without however making any concrete announcement on the troops deployed in Iraq.

“Our role in Iraq will be … to be available”

With the withdrawal of the last forces in Afghanistan by the end of August, Joe Biden will have put an end in a few months to the two longest external conflicts in the history of the United States which began under the presidency of George W. Bush after the attacks of the 11th. -September 2001.

The US president and the head of the Iraqi government signed the agreement in the Oval Office of the White House.

“Our role in Iraq will be … to be available, to continue to train, to support, to aid and to fight against the Islamic State, but we will no longer be, as of the end of the year, in combat zones, ”Joe Biden said.

There are currently 2,500 American soldiers in Iraq who participate mainly in the hunt for fighters of the Islamic State organization and whose mission will be limited in the future to training Iraqi soldiers.

With AFP