U.S. official: Do not rule out the possibility of U.S. troops returning to Iraq

According to U.S. news on September 30, U.S. officials revealed that although U.S. troops have withdrawn from Iraq, if there is a security threat in Iraq, the U.S. does not rule out the possibility of carrying out military strikes or even re-stationing troops.

The official said that the US troops withdrawing from Iraq will be deployed to Jordan, and their main task will be to combat the militants of the extremist organization “Islamic State” hiding in neighboring Syria.

The official also said that if the remnants of the “Islamic State” in Syria and Iraq resurgence and the situation gets out of control, and these countries request U.S. assistance, the U.S. military may return to assist in counter-terrorism.

U.S. President Trump previously stated that the U.S. military will be ready to return to Iraq at any time to provide assistance to the Iraqi government if necessary. The U.S. Department of Defense said that despite withdrawing from Iraq, the U.S. military will continue to provide “limited assistance” to Iraq in training personnel and sharing intelligence.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced on September 30 that the U.S.-led international coalition forces fighting the “Islamic State” ended their military missions in Iraq that day and withdrew in an orderly manner from the Erbil Air Base in Iraq. On the same day, Iraq celebrated “Sovereignty Day”, a symbol of national independence and dignity, to celebrate the withdrawal of US troops. Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Zaidi said that the end of the mission of the international coalition forces marks Iraq’s entry into a new stage of comprehensively and independently safeguarding national security and stability.