Washington-Sana
Senior US and Iraqi government officials announced today their intent to issue a joint statement to withdraw US forces from Iraq by the end of 2021.
The American Wall Street Journal quoted Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein as saying, "We do not need more forces, but rather cooperation in the field of intelligence. We need assistance in training and forces to help us in the air."
The statement is scheduled to be issued within the framework of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's visit to Washington next Monday to meet with US President Joe Biden.
The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Major General Yahya Rasoul, confirmed last April that Iraq does not need any American or foreign soldier on its lands because it has trained forces that can defend its lands.
The Iraqi parliament voted last year by an absolute majority on a resolution obligating the Iraqi government to end foreign presence in the country after the American crimes on Iraqi soil.