US, Iraq begin formal talks on winding down US-led military coalition – By Al Jazeera and News Agencies (Al Jazeera) / Jan 27, 2024
Currently, there are about 2,500 US troops still deployed in Iraq as part of the coalition formed in 2014 to help defeat ISIL.
The United States and Iraq have held a first round of talks on the future of US and other foreign troops in the country, with Baghdad expecting discussions to lead to a timeline for reducing their presence.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as well as top-ranking officials from both the Iraqi armed forces and the US-led coalition met in Baghdad on Saturday.
The joint commission began “the commencement of the first round of bilateral dialogue between Iraq and the United States of America to end the Coalition in Iraq”, Al-Sudani’s office said in a statement.
“Military experts will oversee ending the military mission of the Global Coalition against Daesh [ISIL], a decade after its initiation and after its successful achievement of its mission in partnership with Iraqi security and military forces,” it added.
