Posted on 07/22/2021 12:28:48 PM PDT by BeauBo
U.S. and Iraqi officials are finalizing a shift in the U.S. military mission in Iraq to a purely advisory role by the end of the year, marking the official end of the U.S. combat mission in the country, according to a U.S. official...
Officials plan to announce this shift on Monday after Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi meets with President Joe Biden at the White House.
Under the plan, which the people stressed will not constitute a withdrawal of American forces from the country, a number of U.S. service members will remain in Iraq indefinitely. These troops will provide logistics and advisory support, as well as air power, intelligence and surveillance capability in the fight against the Islamic State, which this week claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Baghdad that left dozens dead.
The announcement will mark the culmination of a number of strategic dialogues between Iraq and U.S. officials over the American military presence in Iraq over the last few years, the person said. While the overall numbers likely won’t change much -- there are roughly 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq today -- the remaining combat forces will likely redeploy, replaced with personnel focused on the advisory mission, between now and the end of the year...
“Iraqis are now ready to stand up on their feet and protect themselves. We are no longer in need of U.S. combat troops,” Kadhimi told Washington Post columnist David Ignatius. “At the same time, we will continue to need intelligence support, training, capacity building and advice.”...
In Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi officials are seeking a long-term military partnership; in Afghanistan, all U.S. troops are expected to leave by Aug. 31, aside from roughly 600 who will remain to help secure the U.S. embassy and the Kabul airport.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Yet another surrender to the mullahs of Iran.
Not necessarily. This is a better deal than what has gone down with Afghanistan.
Combat troops will leave Iraq, but many members of Joint Forces will remain in training/mentoring and advisory roles.
I worked on a team of three military officers and one civilian contractor (me) in an advisory and capacity development role to the Contracts Directorate of the Iraq Ministry of Interior back in’’07-‘08. The was part of the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team (CPATT.). We found the Iraqis to be very receptive to the training and consulting we provided as well as the hands-on assistance we gave them in procuring critical items and services to support their national security.
I see this as a hopeful thing.
Afghanistan and Iraq turned out to be a colossal asinine misadventure making more problems than solving at an incredible cost.
“I see this as a hopeful thing.”
The current PM is pretty pro-American.
I kind of see this as cementing a longer term alliance, and just shifting the skill mix they get, within an overall budget of about how many people they can get from us.
Major combat operations are long since over. The risk that they are going to need American ground pounders on short notice is low, and their own forces have had a lot of time to reconstitute after the war with ISIS.
You’ve been out of the theater for over a decade so I would suggest you try to reconnect with people that are or recently been involved and I’d bet they tell you the Iranians have thoroughly infiltrated the Iraqi military services and built up from the original plan under Sadr.
It’s not even remotely the same now as back in 2008.
Nope. That was just one mission I was on in ‘07-‘08. I was in Iraq when the DoD officially turned operations over to the DoS in 2013, working on the transition. I was back for a brief training stint at the Embassy in 2015. I spent the better part of nine years in Iraq.
By the way, Iranian infiltration is not a new thing. They were all over the Ministry of Interior in 2007.
I stand by my post. (Never assume - we all know what that does. 😏)
Ok, awareness back to nearly a decade but you think the Mullahs have sat on their infiltration gains from a decade ago?
In the words of Penelope Cruz, “I dun think so.”
You’re either completely missing my point or you’re one of those who wants to argue just for the sake of arguing. You’re trying to argue a point I didn’t even make.
It’s just chest-thumping and it bores me. Have a nice day.
We once had an “advisory role” in Vietnam, just saying.
Guess you don’t want to see the point at present.
The Mullahs are on the move. Consolidating power not only in Iraq via the Shia but in the region due to the feckless Obamunists cozying up to them and reversing the successful Trump Doctrine in the Middle East.
But you’d rather focus on the cool lunches in the Green Zone a decade ago and say it’s all groovy.
Alrighty then. 🙄
Your spin as far as what I think or say is CNN-worthy. It has the same scent as well. 🐮 💩
You have shown yourself to be just another mouthy, insecure jerkwad. I have neither the time nor desire to engage in any more of your silly games.
I’m giving you the last word, so make it good, CNN! 😁
Don’t watch CNN and haven’t had cable in almost a decade Allegra.
So I don’t know how you possibly go from my description of the Obamunists reversing the Trump Doctrine in the Middle East in favoring the mullahs in Iran as being a CNN-worthy insecure jerkwad narrative.
I think you may need to go sleep one off. You’re still drunk.
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