The US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS announced that it was reorganizing “to an advisory and assist role” in Iraq by the end of the year.
However, Coalition Spokesman Wayne Marotto stressed on Twitter commitment to security cooperation and partnership with the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government in the war against ISIS.
He also emphasized that the coalition supported “a secure and stable Iraq.”
These statements come as the Joint Operations Command in Iraq announced the withdrawal of three new US units in accordance with the strategic agreement between Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and US President Joe Biden during the fourth round of consultations in Washington at the end of July.
The spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, said in a press statement on Tuesday that Iraq no longer needed foreign combat forces on its soil.
“The strategic dialogue with the United States contributed to the agreement on the withdrawal of three American combat units from the Ain al-Assad base in Anbar, and the Harir base in Erbil, by the end of this month, to head outside Iraq,” he stated.
He noted that the agreement at the same time provided for the continuation of training, equipment and advice.
Khafaji stressed that Iraq “only needs training, armament and construction in the field of air power, army aviation and air defense.”
“These are matters that the international coalition will contribute to building,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon commented on a report by the New York Times about the deployment of 2,000 soldiers in Iraq, stressing that the soldiers, who are from the 4th Infantry Division, will replace the 256 Combat Brigade of the US National Guard in Louisiana for a period of nine months.
According to the Pentagon, the move is a “natural rotation” to support the continuity of the Combined Task Force for Operation Inherent Resolve”, within the framework of the anti-ISIS coalition.
