The United States will begin negotiations on replacing the coalition military presence in Iraq with bilateral cooperation, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said.
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“The United States and the government of Iraq will begin meetings of the High Military Commission working group in the coming days. <…> The High Military Commission will ensure the transition to sustainable bilateral security cooperation,” he said.
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At the same time, the official did not specify whether we are talking about the withdrawal or reduction of the contingent of American troops in Iraq, which numbers about 2.5 thousand people.
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According to him, the parties will have to discuss the “most effective evolution” of the international military coalition, which was created under the leadership of Washington to fight the Islamic State group.
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The coalition has 86 members, some of whom maintain a military presence in Iraq. The United States also includes Syria in its area of responsibility, where, according to some sources, there are about 900 American soldiers.
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Since the beginning of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, US bases in Iraq have been under attack. Shiite armed groups operating in the country claim responsibility for the attacks.
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Against this background, the authorities and other political forces are increasingly demanding the withdrawal of foreign troops from the territory of the state.
