Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top US military commander for the Middle East, told the Associated Press that the US will keep a force of 2,500 troops in Iraq for the “foreseeable future” to promote stabilization in the country and move against ISIS, if needed.
McKenzie said he expects attacks against US and Iraqi forces organized by Iranian-backed militias determined to rid the region of foreign influences. “They actually want all U.S. forces to leave, and all U.S. forces are not going to leave,” he said, adding that as a result, “that may provoke a response as we get later into the end of the month.”
Saying that Iraqi officials want the US military presence in the country, and the Biden administration has successfully negotiated an agreement with Iraqi leaders that would allow a small force to stay in the country. “We’ve drawn down from bases we didn’t need, we’ve made it harder to get at us. But the Iraqis still want us to be there. They still want the presence, they still want the engagement,” said McKenzie. “So as long as they want it, and we can mutually agree that’s the case — we’re going to be there.”