The United States and Iraq have agreed to start talks on the future of the US-led military coalition in Iraq with the aim of setting a timetable for a phased withdrawal of troops and the coalition’s end, both governments have announced. The US has been present in Iraq since its 2003 invasion. US combat forces left in 2011, but thousands of troops returned in 2014 to help the Iraqi government defeat ISIL (ISIS). US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the discussions will take place as part of a higher military commission that was agreed upon in August 2023 and will discuss the “transition to an enduring bilateral security partnership between Iraq and the United States”. Iraq’s government says ISIL is defeated and the coalition’s job is over, but it is keen to explore establishing bilateral relations with coalition members, including military cooperation in training and equipment.

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/25/us-and-iraq-agree-to-start-talks-to-end-presence-of-us-led-coalition