Photo : webshot. 

July 27,2021

Andrew Campbell 

On July 26, President Joe Biden made the announcement following a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House. President Biden has stated that US forces will leave Iraq by the end of 2021, but that the Iraqi military will continue to be trained and advised.

According to experts and former military officials, President Biden's announcement was more of a symbolic gesture than a concrete shift, intended to boost al-Kadhimi ahead of the national elections in the coming October. As previously reported, the withdrawal will take place mostly on paper, with many US service members, including many of the 2,500 US troops currently stationed there, reclassified as serving in an advisory or training capacity.

In 2003, US-led forces invaded Iraq in order to destroy weapons of mass destruction, which were later discovered to be non-existent. In 2011, the United States withdrew its combat troops from Iraq following Saddam Hussein's overthrow. Three years later, however, US troops returned to deal with IS militants who had taken over large parts of the country. Following the Islamic State's military defeat in Iraq at the end of 2017, US forces remained to help prevent the group's resurgence.

During his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, President Biden stated that the US role in Iraq will be to continue to train, assist, and deal with ISIS as it emerges. However, US troops will not be involved in a combat mission by the end of 2021.