American combat troops are leaving their mission in Iraq and pulling out of the area by the end of the year. Biden didn’t refer to the fact in his meeting with Kadhimi, but Iran’s proxy forces are in control of major areas of Iraq, and are buying up lands in Syria. Many powerful pro-Iranian Shi’ite groups in Iraq have are cheering the announcement of US combat operations in the country ending this year, “an outcome they have long demanded.”
Given Biden’s easing of sanctions and his approval to release billions of dollars in frozen assets into the coffers of Iran, the Shia regime is more emboldened than ever.
“Biden, Kadhimi seal agreement to end U.S. combat mission in Iraq,” by Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters, July 27, 2021:
WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi sealed an agreement on Monday formally ending the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by the end of 2021, but U.S. forces will still operate there in an advisory role.
The agreement comes at a politically delicate time for the Iraqi government and could be a boost for Baghdad. Kadhimi has faced increasing pressure from Iran-aligned parties and paramilitary groups who oppose the U.S. military role in the country.
Biden and Kadhimi met in the Oval Office for their first face-to-face talks as part of a strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq.
“Our role in Iraq will be … to be available, to continue to train, to assist, to help and to deal with ISIS as it arises, but we’re not going to be, by the end of the year, in a combat mission,” Biden told reporters as he and Kadhimi met.
There are currently 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq focusing on countering the remnants of Islamic State. The U.S. role in Iraq will shift entirely to training and advising the Iraqi military to defend itself.
The shift is not expected to have a major operational impact since the United States has already moved toward focusing on training Iraqi forces.
Still, for Biden, the deal to end the combat mission in Iraq follows decisions to carry out an unconditional withdrawal from Afghanistan and wrap up the U.S. military mission there by the end of August.
Together with his agreement on Iraq, the Democratic president is moving to formally complete U.S. combat missions in the two wars that then-President George W. Bush began under his watch nearly two decades ago.
A U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq in March 2003 based on charges that then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s government possessed weapons of mass destruction. Saddam was ousted from power, but such weapons were never found.
In recent years, the U.S. mission was focused on helping defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
“Nobody is going to declare mission accomplished. The goal is the enduring defeat of ISIS,” a senior administration official told reporters ahead of Kadhimi’s visit.
The reference was reminiscent of the large “Mission Accomplished” banner on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier above where Bush gave a speech declaring major combat operations over in Iraq on May 1, 2003….
PMK says
Count me among those who look forward to the US departure from Iraq. It’s been more than eighteen years and the Iraqi military needs training to defend itself? Maybe they shouldn’t exist as a sovereign nation if they still can’t defend themselves.
If everyone is worried about Iranian influence in Iraq, it’s been there since before 9/11. If the Iraqi people truly desire freedom (which I doubt), they will defend their sovereignty, all by themselves.
mortimer says
The US troops will have to return, since the Sunnite militants will continue their struggles and Iran will continue its plans to dominate the region. Stability in this region filled with such sectarian hatred can only be maintained by a superior military force that prevents one side from attacking the other.
gravenimage says
I don’t see how we can ever civilize Iraq, Mortimer.
gregbeetham says
Biden’s love affair with Iran and its bunch of terrorists will drive Saudi Arabia closer to Israel most likely but that might be an uneasy relationship as ISIS had supporters within SA..
gravenimage says
Not sure about that, Greg–Saudi Arabia has been reaching out to Iran.
“Secret Meeting Between Saudi Arabia And Iran May Trigger Major Policy Change”
https://money.yahoo.com/secret-meeting-between-saudi-arabia-000000971.html
Infidel says
Like I’ve said before, this is the one thing where Biden hasn’t much altered the Trump policy and is doing things right – getting our troops out of there. And this time, Gen Mark Milley is so busy defending CRT that he didn’t get the time to intercept this withdrawal, the way he did w/ Trump
As for the Saudis, it would be interesting to see whether that drives them closer to Iran or Israel. For Iran then, it would mean them being open to shi’a islam being as welcome in that country as sunni islam. It would also be a considerable weakening of MbS, who’s been trying to dilute the islamic influence in the country