The U.S. military announced it will withdraw more troops from Iraq this month. During a visit to Iraq on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command commander General McKenzie said the U.S. military presence in Iraq will be reduced from 5,200 to 3,000 troops.
Admiral McKenzie said, “Reducing the number of troops allows us to continue to advise and assist our partners in Iraq to root out the last vestiges of ISIS in Iraq and to ensure that it does not return.” He added, “This decision is driven by our confidence in the increased ability of Iraqi security forces to operate independently.”
U.S. troops in Iraq are conducting counterterrorism operations and training Iraqi forces. There are still 8,600 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters accompanying President Trump on Tuesday night that an announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan could be made later this week.
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