Top Pentagon official in Iraq to discuss US troop presence
Posted Feb 12, 2019 03:24:05 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BAGHDAD — The top Pentagon official has arrived in Baghdad to consult with American military commanders and Iraqi government leaders on the future U.S. troop presence.
Pat Shanahan, the acting secretary of defence, said before his unannounced arrival on Tuesday that he wanted to hear first-hand about the state of Iraq’s fight against remnants of the Islamic State group.
It’s Shanahan’s first visit to Iraq.
The U.S. has about 5,200 troops in Iraq to train and advise Iraqi security forces, 16 years after the U.S. invaded to topple Saddam Hussein.
President Donald Trump upset Iraqis by saying earlier this month that U.S. forces should use their Iraqi positions to keep an eye on neighbouring Iran. That’s not the stated U.S. mission, and Iraqi officials have said Trump’s proposal would violate Iraq’s constitution.
The Associated Press
