WASHINGTON: Our troops will leave Iraq if the government asks

Tuesday 19 February




Alsumaria News / Baghdad
The United States said on Tuesday that US forces would leave Iraq if the Iraqi government asked for it, stressing that "the return will be very difficult," noting that Iraqi forces are not ready so far to maintain security only with the help of foreign forces.

"The presence of US troops in Iraq came at the invitation of the Iraqi government," said US Charge d'Affaires Joe Hood in an interview with a number of media outlets including Sumerian News. "These forces, the international coalition and NATO will leave Iraq if the Iraqi government requests it."


"The Iraqi security forces are not ready to maintain security until now with the help of foreign forces," he said, adding that "we are not the ones who say that but the senior leaders."

"The rate of presence of troops is 5,200 troops per week," he said, adding that "this number is changing every week, not a fixed number, and they are with Iraqi forces."

"There are no US bases in Iraq, but there are trainers and advisers," he said.

"If we were asked to get out of Iraqi territory, we would be executed, but our return would be very difficult," said the charge d'affaires of the US embassy.

On February 3, 2019, US President Donald Trump revealed his intention to keep his country's troops in Iraq, pointing out that the aim was to monitor Iran.


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