Trump reveals when US military will leave Iraq after 23-year mission
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States no longer believes it needs a military presence in Iraq, arguing Iran has been weakened enough for Baghdad to stand on its...
By Fox News · Fox News
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States no longer believes it needs a military presence in Iraq, arguing Iran has been weakened enough for Baghdad to stand on its own as the U.S.-led coalition mission approaches its planned Sept. 30 conclusion. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi echoed that vision, declaring that armed factions operating outside state control would have "no justification" once the coalition mission concludes and insisting Iraq's security forces would be capable of protecting the country on their own. Al-Zaidi said limiting weapons to the state was "a decision, not an option." Trump said the U.S. partnership with Iraq would shift away from military cooperation toward investment and energy development, while al-Zaidi said: "The 30th of September, the U.S. forces would be out of Iraq. While U.S. companies will be inside Iraq ." TRUMP ADMIN WARNS IRAQ OVER IRAN TERROR PROXIES AS US REPORTEDLY BLOCKS CASH PAYMENTS "We don't think we need the military there anymore," Trump said. "We're there to help them. We're there to protect them if need be. But we don't think that's going to be necessary." He argued Iraq's security environment had fundamentally changed because Iran had been "very much destabilized" and its military was now "just a tiny fraction" of what it had been four months ago. The remarks underscore a remarkable shift for a country once synonymous with roadside bombs, sectarian violence and the fight against ISIS. More than two decades after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Trump administration is publicly arguing the security environment has improved enough to replace a military partnership with an economic one, pointing to billions of dollars in planned U.S. energy investments as evidence American companies are now willing to do business where American troops once fought. Iran has long exercised influence in Iraq through political parties and powerful militias within the Popular Mobilization Forces, many of which have operated along…