On January 8, 2020, Iran launched Operation „Martyr Soleimani“ and launched rocket fire at U.S. troops deployed in Iraq. [11] 110 U.S. military personnel suffered head injuries. [13] The United States responded by insisting that its troops remain in Iraq. [11] In his withdrawal speech, Trump said, „One day we want to go out. But that is not the right point. [11] Two days later, Abdul-Mahdi said that all foreign troops should withdraw from Iraq, including Iran. [14] On January 24, 2020, Iraqi protesters marched to demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops. [15] For security reasons, some NATO countries, including Canada, Germany, Croatia and Slovakia, have stated that they are withdrawing troops from Iraq, at least temporarily. [16] Conditions on the ground were not yet correct, Esper reportedly wrote, citing continued violence, the risks of a rapid withdrawal for the remaining troops, the impact on alliances and the fear of undermining peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The memo was reported by The Washington Post.
The path to withdrawal was opened in January, when the Iraqi parliament, in which Tehran groups give significant power, voted in favor of expelling AMERICAN forces. The United States must also withdraw troops from Afghanistan and Germany. The United States and Iraq are starting talks on the U.S. military presence, with the militant threat growing 17 years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and talks that began Thursday focus on a wide range of topics. The most sensitive of these is the issue of the presence of foreign troops: the Iraqi Parliament has called on the US-led coalition to withdraw, and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is under pressure to meet this demand without risking security flaws that Islamic State fighters could exploit. The United States will withdraw more than a third of its troops from Iraq in a matter of weeks, its supreme commander of the Middle East has said. Gen Kenneth McKenzie told reporters that the military presence would be reduced from about 5,200 to 3,000 in September. The withdrawal, after Tuesday`s announcement, will reduce the U.S. military presence in Iraq from 3,000 to about 2,500 troops, half the force initially deployed by 5,000 troops.
Miller`s predecessor, Mark Esper, who was recently fired by Trump, had spoken out in favor of maintaining a viable military presence in Iraq. America`s 19-year exit from Afghanistan was set in a Washington deal with the Taliban in February. The agreement stipulated that U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan in 18 months, provided the Taliban engage in the fight against terrorist groups, with the greatest apparent focus apparently on the Islamic State group`s member organization in the country. U.S. officials said military leaders were told over the weekend about the planned withdrawals and that an executive order is in the works but has yet been delivered to commanders. Officials have warned that there could still be changes and Trump is known for making quick decisions based on media reports and online chatter.