U.S. dismisses Iraq request to withdraw troops, saying American presence there is crucial

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, shown in 2018, appears to be standing by his previous statements that U.S troops should leave Iraq despite recent signals toward de-escalation between Tehran and Washington. Iraq’s caretaker prime minister asked Washington to start working out a road map for an American troop withdrawal, but the U.S. State Department on Friday bluntly rejected the request, saying the two sides should instead talk about how to “recommit” to their partnership. Pompeo indicated Friday the troops would remain, adding that the U.S. would continue its mission to help train Iraqi security forces and counter Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Earlier in the day, Pompeo’s spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said any delegation sent to Iraq would be dedicated to “discussing how to best recommit to our strategic partnership — not to discuss troop withdrawal, but our right, appropriate force posture in the Middle East.” Iraqi lawmakers passed a resolution Sunday to oust U.S. troops, following the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike that killed Suleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi Muhandis at Baghdad’s airport. It said Pompeo initiated the call and reiterated the U.S. condemnation of the Iranian missile strikes on the two bases, underscoring that President Trump “has said the United States will do whatever it takes to protect the American and Iraqi people and defend our collective interests.” There are some 5,200 U.S. troops in Iraq assisting and providing training to Iraqi security counterparts to fight the Islamic State group.