Reuters: Biden and Al-Kazemi will sign an agreement that officially ends the combat missions of US forces in Iraq by the end of 2021
Baghdad today – US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi will sign an agreement officially ending the combat missions of US forces in Iraq by the end of 2021, more than 18 years after sending US forces to the country.
With the decision to withdraw the last US troops from Afghanistan by the end of August, the Democratic president will conclude US combat missions in the two wars started by former President George W. Bush.
It is scheduled to meet Biden and Al-Kazemi in the Oval Office in the first direct talks between them as part of a strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq.
A statement will be issued after the meeting to announce the end of US combat missions in Iraq, a senior Biden administration official said.
There are currently about 2,500 US soldiers in Iraq, whose missions are to confront the remnants of the Islamic State. And the US role in Iraq will change completely to being limited to training and advising the Iraqi army.
The shift is not expected to have little effect because the United States is already focusing on training Iraqi forces.