Troop Withdrawal Plan From Iraq to Come Next Week

An announcement regarding America's withdrawal of troops from Iraq could come as soon as next week, Politico reported Friday.

Quoting two Biden administration officials, Politico said negotiations between U.S. and Iraqi officials on the withdrawal of 2,500 U.S. troops by 2026 are in their final stages.

"ISIS," a senior Pentagon official told Politico, "has definitely been severely defeated, certainly territorially defeated, and we want to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS, but the threat does remain."

Meanwhile, the planned reduction of U.S. troops from the region has raised concerns on Capitol Hill. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chair of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed his frustration in a statement, arguing that the withdrawal could embolden both ISIS and Iran.

"There seems to be no strategic military advantage to this anticipated decision," Rogers said, emphasizing his worries about the impact on U.S. national security.

On the Iraqi side, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi have both publicly supported the plan, asserting that Iraq is ready to maintain stability without a large U.S. military presence. They noted that the justification for such a presence no longer exists, as Iraq has shifted from a state of war to a period of stability.

The transition to a "sustainable security partnership," according to the report, is designed to ensure that Iraq can continue to counter any remaining threats with minimal direct U.S. involvement.

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