Pentagon says not planning a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon said on Monday it was not currently planning to withdraw its roughly 2,500 troops from Iraq, despite Baghdad’s announcement last week it would begin the process of removing the U.S.-led military coalition from the country.

“Right now, I’m not aware of any plans (to plan for withdrawal). We continue to remain very focused on the defeat ISIS mission,” Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder told a news briefing, using an acronym for Islamic State. He added that U.S. forces are in Iraq at the invitation of its government.

Ryder said he was also unaware of any notification by Baghdad to the Department of Defense about a decision to remove U.S. troops, and referred reporters to the U.S. State Department for any diplomatic discussions on the matter.

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