Today, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is meeting with President Trump to discuss issues including the presence of U.S. military personnel in Iraq. Defense Priorities Senior Fellow Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis, USA, Ret. issued the following statement in response:
“In 2017, the ISIS caliphate lost its territory in Iraq—since then, U.S. troops have been in the country with no militarily attainable objectives. They are effectively sitting in Iraq with targets on their backs, giving regional combatants – who otherwise wouldn’t be able to endanger American lives – the opportunity to launch tactical attacks against our troops. Plainly stated, there are no threats to U.S. security in Iraq that justify the continued deployment of approximately 5,000 U.S. soldiers.
“We maintain an unparalleled ability to conduct targeted strikes against any threats that may arise against the United States, no matter where in the world they originate – including Iraq and Syria. We don’t need troops permanently stationed on the ground there to assure our safety.
“The U.S. military should only be asked to defend American security – President Trump should withdraw all U.S. combat troops from both Iraq and Syria to limit the risk to our forces and preserve our national security interests. The Iraqi Prime Minister and his government need to defend their own country.”
Defense Priorities report: Keeping U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria courts war
Defense Priorities explainer: Dealing with the remnants of ISIS
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