U.S. to withdraw more than 2,000 troops from Iraq

Sep 9, 2020

The U.S. will withdraw 2,200 troops from Iraq by the end of September, bringing troop levels in the country down to 3,000, confirmed Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command.

The big picture: The move is in line with President Trump’s campaign promise to pare back America’s involvement in the Middle East. The president has reduced the U.S. troop presence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

  • At the height of the Iraq War, there were over 150,000 service members stationed in Iraq, according to the Times.
  • The number of troops in Iraq after the pullback will be at about the same level as in 2015, when the U.S. was in the early stages of its campaign against the Islamic State.

Driving the news: The announcement comes days after Trump accused Pentagon leadership of waging war in order to keep defense contractors “happy,” as he was denying reports that he insulted fallen service members.

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