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Trump administration announces plans to cut number of troops in Iraq by a THIRD as the president continues his promise to take the US out of 'endless wars'


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Trump administration announces plans to cut number of troops in Iraq by a THIRD as the president continues his promise to take the US out of 'endless wars'

  • White House is set to announce the withdrawal of troops from Iraq Wednesday 
  • There are more than 5,000 American soldiers currently stationed  in Iraq
  • Decision comes on the back off The Atlantic's story on Trump allegedly disparaging troops 
  • The White House has strenuously denied the report and Trump has derided The Atlantic as a failing magazine 

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

PUBLISHED: 22:08 EDT, 8 September 2020 | UPDATED: 23:30 EDT, 8 September 2020

 

 

The Trump administration will announce Wednesday that it is withdrawing up to a third of US troops from Iraq, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to disentangle the country from 'endless wars.'

A senior administration official discussed the draw-down with reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday night, on condition of anonymity. 

The official said the administration is also looking to announce the withdrawal of additional troops from Afghanistan in the coming days.

 
 

The planned announcements come as the president has been trying to make the case that he has fulfilled the promises he made four years ago as he tries to secure a second term.

The Trump administration will announce Wednesday that it is withdrawing up to a third of US troops from Iraq, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to disentangle the country from 'endless wars'
 
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The Trump administration will announce Wednesday that it is withdrawing up to a third of US troops from Iraq, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to disentangle the country from 'endless wars' 

The decision also comes as Trump, a Republican, faces blowback from a report that he allegedly made disparaging remarks about U.S. war dead. 

The Atlantic claimed in a story published last week that Trump referred to dead US troops as 'losers' and 'suckers'.

The White House has strenuously denied the report and Trump has derided The Atlantic as a failing magazine. 

There are more than 5,000 American troops in Iraq now. 

In July, the top U.S. general for the Middle East said he believed the U.S. will keep a smaller but enduring presence in the country. 

Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said he believes the Iraqis welcome the U.S. and coalition troops, especially in the ongoing fight to keep IS fighters from taking hold of the country again.

Trump told reporters two weeks ago that 'we look forward to the day when we don´t have to be there.' The comments came during an Oval Office meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized at that same meeting that a full withdrawal of U.S. troops would only occur once 'we can complete the mission.'

There are more than 5,000 American troops in Iraq now. In July, the top U.S. general for the Middle East said he believed the U.S. will keep a smaller but enduring presence in the country
 
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There are more than 5,000 American troops in Iraq now. In July, the top U.S. general for the Middle East said he believed the U.S. will keep a smaller but enduring presence in the country

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THE WORLD

GMT 02:04 09.09.2020
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A senior US administration official told reporters that President Donald Trump will announce the withdrawal of more US forces from Iraq today, Wednesday.

Reuters quoted the official as saying that this announcement will be followed by another announcement in the coming days regarding an additional reduction of US forces in Afghanistan.

 

The decision comes as a Republican Trump faces a backlash from a report he says has spoken insultingly about American war dead.

Last Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the importance of the American presence through the international coalition in Iraq.

In a press conference in Baghdad, he said, "The international coalition is still working today, and the decision to dismantle it has not been taken," stressing the importance of the coalition in "fighting and pursuing ISIS elements."

The French president pointed out that "what is being discussed is ways to intervene from the international coalition from Iraqi lands with the aim of enhancing coordination and better respect for Iraqi sovereignty." I will address the issue with US President Donald Trump.

 

 

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6DA6EMZKGFF6FL3MGOIIZOLVOQ.jpg U.S. Soldiers assigned to 82nd Airborne Division conduct a base defense exercise on Camp Taji, Iraq, Jan. 19, 2020. The exercise was conducted to validate force protection procedures and increase security readiness in the event of future threats. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Caroline Schofer)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is reducing its troop presence in Iraq this month from 5,200 to 3,000, the top American commander for the Middle East said Wednesday, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to get the United States out of “endless wars.”

 

During a visit to Iraq, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said the reduction in Iraq reflects U.S. confidence in the ability of U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces to handle the militant threat from the Islamic State group, which entered Iraq from Syria in 2014.

Late Tuesday, a senior Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters aboard Air Force One that such an announcement was coming and that an announcement on the withdrawal of additional troops from Afghanistan also could be expected in the coming days.

Trump has been trying to make the case that he has fulfilled the promises he made four years ago as he campaigns for a second term.

U.S. forces have been in Afghanistan since 2001. They invaded Iraq in 2003 and left in 2011 but returned in 2014 after the Islamic State group overran large parts of Iraq.

 

“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,” McKenzie said, according to an excerpt of his remarks provided by his office.

McKenzie said the remaining U.S. troops would continue advising and assisting Iraqi security forces as they attempt to root out remnants of the Islamic State group, sometimes called ISIS.

“The U.S. decision is a clear demonstration of our continued commitment to the ultimate goal, which is an Iraqi security force that is capable of preventing an ISIS resurgence and of securing Iraq’s sovereignty without external assistance,” McKenzie said. “The journey has been difficult, the sacrifice has been great, but the progress has been significant.”

Tensions spiked between the U.S. and Iraq in January after a U.S. drone strike near the Baghdad airport killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Angry Iraqi lawmakers, spurred on by Shiite political factions, passed a nonbinding resolution to oust all U.S.-led coalition forces from the country.

 

In response to the Soleimani killing, Iran on Jan. 8 launched a ballistic missile attack on al-Asad air base in Iraq, which resulted in traumatic brain injuries to more than 100 American troops. Two months later, U.S. fighter jets struck five sites in retaliation, targeting Iranian-backed Shiite militia members believed responsible for the January rocket attack.

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UNITED STATES FORMALLY ANNOUNCES TROOP REDUCTION IN IRAQ

In election gambit
FILE PHOTO: U.S. soldiers are seen during a handover ceremony of Taji military base from US-led coalition troops to Iraqi security forces, in the base north of Baghdad, Iraq August 23, 2020. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

7 Hours ago 

https://nrttv.com/En/News.aspx?id=23751&MapID=2

 

SULAIMANI — The United States military on Wednesday (September 9) announced that it would be reducing its presence in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 troops this month, formalizing a move that had been long expected.

Last month, Reuters reported that the United States was expected to reduce its troops presence in Iraq by about a third.

The United States has around 5,200 troops that were deployed in Iraq to fight the Islamic State militant group. Officials in the US-led coalition say Iraqi forces are now mostly able to handle the remnants of Islamic State on their own.

“We are continuing to expand on our partner capacity programs that enable Iraqi forces and allow us to reduce our footprint in Iraq,” Marine General Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, said during a visit to Iraq.

A senior administration official had said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump would be announcing a reduction of US troops from Iraq, according to Reuters.

The United States and Iraq in June affirmed their commitment to the reduction of US troops in the country in coming months, with no plans by Washington to maintain permanent bases or a permanent military presence.

In 2016 Trump campaigned on ending America’s “endless wars,” but US troops remain in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, albeit in smaller numbers.

Last month during a meeting with the Iraqi prime minister, Trump redoubled his promise to withdraw the US troops still in Iraq.

Trump’s meeting with the Iraqi leader came amid a new spike in tensions between Washington and Tehran after Washington said it would seek to reinstate all previously suspended US sanctions on Iran at the United Nations.

Iraq’s parliament had voted earlier this year for the departure of foreign troops from Iraq, and United States and other coalition troops have been leaving as part of a drawdown.

(NRT Digital Media/Reuters)

This story was updated at 3:10 p.m. EBL 

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1 minute ago, 6ly410 said:

UNITED STATES FORMALLY ANNOUNCES TROOP REDUCTION IN IRAQ

In election gambit
FILE PHOTO: U.S. soldiers are seen during a handover ceremony of Taji military base from US-led coalition troops to Iraqi security forces, in the base north of Baghdad, Iraq August 23, 2020. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

7 Hours ago 

https://nrttv.com/En/News.aspx?id=23751&MapID=2

 

SULAIMANI — The United States military on Wednesday (September 9) announced that it would be reducing its presence in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 troops this month, formalizing a move that had been long expected.

Last month, Reuters reported that the United States was expected to reduce its troops presence in Iraq by about a third.

The United States has around 5,200 troops that were deployed in Iraq to fight the Islamic State militant group. Officials in the US-led coalition say Iraqi forces are now mostly able to handle the remnants of Islamic State on their own.

“We are continuing to expand on our partner capacity programs that enable Iraqi forces and allow us to reduce our footprint in Iraq,” Marine General Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, said during a visit to Iraq.

A senior administration official had said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump would be announcing a reduction of US troops from Iraq, according to Reuters.

The United States and Iraq in June affirmed their commitment to the reduction of US troops in the country in coming months, with no plans by Washington to maintain permanent bases or a permanent military presence.

In 2016 Trump campaigned on ending America’s “endless wars,” but US troops remain in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, albeit in smaller numbers.

Last month during a meeting with the Iraqi prime minister, Trump redoubled his promise to withdraw the US troops still in Iraq.

Trump’s meeting with the Iraqi leader came amid a new spike in tensions between Washington and Tehran after Washington said it would seek to reinstate all previously suspended US sanctions on Iran at the United Nations.

Iraq’s parliament had voted earlier this year for the departure of foreign troops from Iraq, and United States and other coalition troops have been leaving as part of a drawdown.

(NRT Digital Media/Reuters)

This story was updated at 3:10 p.m. EBL 

Thank you 61y410. This story means Iraq was just solved...in my opinion. We will get our money. The Dinar will be traded. Why? How do I conclude this?.....Everything in the world happens on a deadline. It's simple as that. People need deadline and consequences, to get anything done. True of me, true of you, true of Iraq politicians. Deadlines imply consequences....or else. This is true of homework when you are a kid, it's true of anything at work, it's true of Iraq. No deadline, no consequences, no action. That's how life works. Work expands to fit the time allotted to it. Trump understands this, being a man of business. He is giving Iraqi politician a deadline....with very real and potentially brutal consequences for them. Here is something below, that I said the other day that relates to this. Quote below. It just talks about the consequences for Iraq, if they don't get their act together:

 

 

President Trump does not like to be crossed. He believes in getting even. He said so in an interview on Leno years ago....Six Minutes 30 seconds.

 

He accepted the recent Iraqi delegation in good faith. If it's the Kurds holding this up, they can expect retaliation. Trump said he likes to shake up the box, try new things. He also said he's eventually leaving Iraq. That may mean, eventually he order U.S. troops to redeploy out of country....What's Trumps next move, if the Kurds are not willing to be reasonable? Back in the early 1980s, the Kurds had 50,000 women and children slaughtered by Saddam Hussein because George H.W. Bush didn't want to get involved. If the Kurds don't eventually sign and make a deal, one option President Trump has is to redeploy American troops out of country, leaving the Kurds at the mercy of Baghdad, with no American protection. The Kurds are vastly out-numbered in Iraq and exist semi-autonomously by the grace of God and American protection. Their semi-autonomous designation might end if there is no deal.

 

That could:bananacamel: get very ugly. Hillarious level ugly. Trump is quite a patient guy. Till he's not.  

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17 minutes ago, Rochester said:

Thank you 61y410. This story means Iraq was just solved...in my opinion. We will get our money. The Dinar will be traded. Why? How do I conclude this?.....Everything in the world happens on a deadline. It's simple as that. People need deadline and consequences, to get anything done. True of me, true of you, true of Iraq politicians. Deadlines imply consequences....or else. This is true of homework when you are a kid, it's true of anything at work, it's true of Iraq. No deadline, no consequences, no action. That's how life works. Work expands to fit the time allotted to it. Trump understands this, being a man of business. He is giving Iraqi politician a deadline....with very real and potentially brutal consequences for them. Here is something below, that I said the other day that relates to this. Quote below. It just talks about the consequences for Iraq, if they don't get their act together:

 

 

President Trump does not like to be crossed. He believes in getting even. He said so in an interview on Leno years ago....Six Minutes 30 seconds.

 

He accepted the recent Iraqi delegation in good faith. If it's the Kurds holding this up, they can expect retaliation. Trump said he likes to shake up the box, try new things. He also said he's eventually leaving Iraq. That may mean, eventually he order U.S. troops to redeploy out of country....What's Trumps next move, if the Kurds are not willing to be reasonable? Back in the early 1980s, the Kurds had 50,000 women and children slaughtered by Saddam Hussein because George H.W. Bush didn't want to get involved. If the Kurds don't eventually sign and make a deal, one option President Trump has is to redeploy American troops out of country, leaving the Kurds at the mercy of Baghdad, with no American protection. The Kurds are vastly out-numbered in Iraq and exist semi-autonomously by the grace of God and American protection. Their semi-autonomous designation might end if there is no deal.

 

That could:bananacamel: get very ugly. Hillarious level ugly. Trump is quite a patient guy. Till he's not.  

I agree! Troops leave, we get paid. Happened in Kuwait.

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After America, Germany intends to reduce the number of its forces in Iraq

 Time: 09/09/2020 12:31:29  Read: 2,262 times

After America, Germany intends to reduce the number of its forces in Iraq
  
{Baghdad: Al Furat News} The German government intends to reduce the number of its forces in Iraq.

The German news agency said, "The German government intends to reduce the number of its soldiers in Iraq to 500 only."

There are 700 German soldiers in Iraq, and their main tasks are to provide training support to the Iraqi army and Pashmerga forces in their war against ISIS.

In the same regard, a US administration official said that President Donald Trump will announce, today, Wednesday, an additional reduction in the number of US forces in Iraq.

Trump will also announce, according to the official, in the coming days, a reduction in the number of US forces in Afghanistan.

Trump had informed Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi during the latter's visit to Washington last month that the United States sought to reduce the number of US forces in Iraq and his commitment to the rapid exit of the international coalition forces within 3 years.

Mohammed

 

https://alforatnews.com/news/بعد-أمريكا-ألمانيا-تعتزم-خفض-عدد-قواتها-في-العراق

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A statement expected by Trump on the withdrawal of more US forces from Iraq

Publication date: 09/09/2020 | 09:11 GMT |world News

A statement expected by Trump on the withdrawal of more US forces from Iraq

AFP
A senior US official told reporters at the White House that the US President, Donald Trump, will make a statement tomorrow about the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.

It was reported that the senior US administration official said that "an announcement about the withdrawal of more forces from Iraq is expected tomorrow," and furthermore, "there will be another announcement on Afghanistan in the coming days."

 According to Reuters, the second statement is also related to the reduction of the US military presence.

The Wall Street Journal reported in late August, citing government sources, that the United States plans to reduce the number of troops in Iraq to 3.5 thousand soldiers in the coming months. There are currently about 5.2 thousand US troops in Iraq.

The American forces in Iraq have been carrying out various missions since 2003, while the American forces launched a missile attack on the night of January 3, near Baghdad airport, in which the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Major General Qassem Soleimani, was killed.

In response, Tehran launched a missile attack on the night of January 8 on two sites in Iraq used by the US military, namely the Ain al-Assad base and Erbil airport.

The actions of the Americans, who launched attacks on armed Shiite groups in Iraq since December 29, sparked criticism from the Iraqi authorities, and on January 5, the Iraqi parliament issued a resolution calling for the complete withdrawal of all foreign forces from the country.

A joint statement by the American and Iraqi authorities issued last June, following talks within the framework of a strategic dialogue that began between the two sides, stated that Washington will continue to reduce its military presence in Iraq in the coming months, and will discuss with Baghdad the status of the remaining American soldiers in the country.

Source: TASS

 

https://arabic.rt.com/world/1152348-بيان-وشيك-لترامب-بشأن-سحب-المزيد-من-القوات-الأمريكية-من-العرا/

 
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The US Army officially announces the reduction of its forces in Iraq

The US Army officially announces the reduction of its forces in Iraq
Iraq flag
 10 September 2020 11:51 AM

Mubasher: The US military announced officially reducing the number of its personnel in Iraq from 5,200 individuals to 3,000, according to Reuters.

On Tuesday, a senior US administration official said, according to the agency, that President Donald Trump will announce the withdrawal of more US forces from Iraq.

Officials in the US-led coalition said earlier that Iraqi forces are now largely able to deal on their own with the remnants of the militant group.

General Frank MacKenzie, commander of the US Central Command, said during a visit to Iraq: "We continue to expand programs to support our partner's capabilities to enable Iraqi forces to allow us to reduce our presence in Iraq."

The United States and Iraq confirmed last June, their commitment to reduce the American forces in the country, with no intention of Washington on a permanent military presence.

This year, the Iraqi parliament supported the withdrawal of US forces, and US forces and forces from other countries that are members of the coalition began to leave the country in the context of reducing the numbers.

The spokesman for the joint operations in Iraq, Major General Tahseen Al-Khafaji, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), yesterday, Wednesday, that the reduction in the number of American forces comes according to a schedule prepared between the Iraqi government and the international coalition.

Al-Khafaji added that the step to reduce the American forces is focused on coordination, joint work and joint relations between Iraqi forces and the international coalition forces.

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Trump: We will reduce our forces in Iraq to about two thousand soldiers in a very short period of time

855774-952d140f-6fc3-4a45-a003-3209f82ec
Baghdad / NINA / US President Donald Trump said that the United States will reduce its forces in Iraq to about two thousand soldiers within a very short period.

During a White House press conference, Trump went further than a US official said last month when he reported that the United States would reduce its forces to about 3,500 in Iraq within two to three months.

He said, "The number of soldiers in Iraq will drop to 2000 in a very short period of time."

The Wall Street Journal reported in late August, citing government sources, that the United States plans to reduce the number of troops in Iraq to 3.5 thousand soldiers in the coming months, while about 5.2 thousand American soldiers are stationed in Iraq. / End 9
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