President Biden, Iraqi Prime Minister Announce End of Combat Mission

Yesterday President Biden agreed to formally conclude the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by the end of the year. Biden was joined by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in the oval office during a press conference to announce the next steps toward winding down the conflict in the Middle East that began after the terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001. Biden said “our role in Iraq will be … being available to continue to train, to assist, to help, and to deal with ISIS — as it arrives. But we’re not going to be, by the end of the year, in a combat mission.”

Unlike Biden’s decision to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the combat mission comes at Iraq’s urging. The country is dealing with anti-American factions in the country, Iranian- backed militias and the stabilizing presence of the American military. Currently there are 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq and officials have declined to say how that number will change following yesterday’s announcement. The U.S. and Iraq are expected to announce the mission will fully shift to an advisory role by the end of the year.