U.S., Iraq do not agree on troop withdrawal timeline

April 8, 2021 Amber28 US 0

FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2016 file photo, a U.S. Army soldier guards a position at Camp Swift, northern Iraq. Iraq’s prime minister asked the Iranian leadership to rein in Iran-backed militias in Iraq, and in a strongly worded message to Tehran, suggested he would confront the factions, two Iraqi officials said Wednesday, April 7, 2021, ahead of another round of strategic talks with Washington. (AP Photo/Susannah George)

FILE – A U.S. Army soldier guards a position at Camp Swift, northern Iraq. (AP Photo/Susannah George)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 11:14 AM PT – Thursday, April 8, 2021

The last troops stationed in Iraq still don’t know when they are coming home. On Wednesday, U.S. and Iraqi officials said the most recent round of talks did not result in a timeline for the withdrawal of the last 2,500 service members in the country.

The discussion marked the third meeting between the two nations and the first during the Biden administration. When asked about the progress of the plan, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby shifted the blame onto Iraq by saying troops were only there by invitation.

“This is a mutual decision by the Iraqi government and the United States government. And again, Pierre, we are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government. And the mission is singly focused on going after ISIS and particularly and you saw this in the communique. Our role is, is advise and assist.”

LIVE: @PentagonPresSec John F. Kirby holds a briefing at the Pentagon. https://t.co/yjS0FYE14E

— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) April 7, 2021

President Trump began talks in the summer of last year, affirming that the U.S. presence in Iraq had gone on long enough and our troops were needed back home.