Biden: US combat mission in Iraq will be over by end of year

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — US President Joe Biden said America’s combat mission in Iraq will be over by the end of the year, as he welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to the White House on Monday for strategic talks on relations between their two nations, ties the two leaders hailed as “strong” and “vital.” 

“Our role in Iraq… it’s just to be available to continue to train, to assist, to help and to deal with ISIS as it arrives. But we’re not going to be, by the end of the year, in a combat mission,” Biden said, referring to the Islamic State group. 

Kadhimi is in Washington to set a timetable for the withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraq, though whether there will be any reduction of forces is uncertain as the US formally shifts its mission to an advisory and training role. There are currently 2,500 US soldiers in Iraq.

The White House has declined to give specific numbers. “The real news today… is about a change of mission. And the numbers will be driven by what is needed for the mission, over time. So it is more about moving to a more advising and training capacity from what we have had over the last several years,” spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a briefing on Monday. 

The Iraqi prime minister is under pressure at home to secure an American withdrawal. Parliament last year passed a non-binding resolution demanding foreign forces depart the country after the US assassinated Iraqi deputy militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad in January 2020. Iranian-backed militias are blamed for frequent rocket and drone attacks on US interests in the country. 

Greeting Kadhimi in front of media in the Oval Office, Biden’s notecard was visible. On it was written: “US prepared to respond to attacks” and “Iran considering [with] holding back attacks.”

This year alone, there have been 27 reported attacks on US interests in Iraq and three in Syria, according to data compiled by Rudaw English. Iran has denied involvement. The US has responded twice – striking militia positions on the Iraq-Syria border on February 25 and again on June 28. 

Representatives from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are part of the Iraqi delegation in Washington, which has been engaged in several days of talks ahead of the leaders’ meeting. Kurdish officials are worried that a withdrawal of international forces would leave national troops unequipped to handle a resurging ISIS. “Iraq still needs the international coalition forces to be present,” Safeen Dizayee, head of the KRG’s foreign relations department, said on Saturday.

While security is the primary focus, the strategic dialogue between Baghdad and Washington will also touch on a host of other issues. 

“The US-Iraqi strategic dialogue is about commitments that expand our cooperation on issues like health care, climate, energy,” said Biden, announcing his administration was sending 500,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines to Iraq, expected to be delivered in a couple of weeks. 

Kadhimi said he was happy to be in Washington “to discuss the future of our nation and how to improve this relationship between our two countries.”