Washington and Baghdad plan to hold talks soon to end presence of US-led coalition in Iraq
The United States and Iraq will soon begin formal talks soon to transition the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State in Iraq
By TARA COPP and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Published - Jan 25, 2024, 10:11 AM ET
Last Updated - Jan 25, 2024, 10:11 AM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Iraq expect to begin formal talks soon to wind down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq, both governments said Thursday.
The U.S. has had a continuous presence in Iraq since its 2003 invasion. Although all U.S. combat forces left in 2011, thousands of troops returned in 2014 to help the government of Iraq defeat IS.
In the years since, the presence of U.S. forces, who have remained there to conduct counter-IS missions and training, has been a lightning rod for an increasingly influential faction of Iran-aligned militias and politicians in the country.
