More than 2,000 US troops to leave Iraq in September, CENTCOM says
CENTCOM head formally announces long-awaited reduction of US forces in Iraq.
The commander of US forces in the Middle East on Wednesday formally announced a long-expected reduction of the number of US troops in Iraq, from more than 5,000 to some 3,000.
“In recognition of the great progress the Iraqi forces have made and in consultation and coordination with the government of Iraq and our coalition partners, the United States has decided to reduce our troop presence in Iraq from about 5,200 to 3,000 troops during the month of September,” CENTCOM commander Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie said during a coalition change-of-command ceremony in Baghdad.
“This decision is due to our confidence in the Iraqi Security Forces’ increased ability to operate independently,” McKenzie said, according to a readout of his statement provided to Al-Monitor.
The drawdown announcement comes three weeks after Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visited Washington to discuss the United States’ security and economic relations with Iraq now that the Islamic State (IS) has been reduced to scattered sleeper cells.
