Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in the streets of Tehran for the funeral of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani
BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON - The United States has no plans to pull its troops out of Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday, following reports by Reuters and other media of an American military letter informing Iraq officials about the repositioning of troops in preparation to leave the country.
“There’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq,” Esper told Pentagon reporters when asked about the letter, adding there were no plans issued to prepare to leave. “Poorly worded, implies withdrawal. That’s not what’s happening,” said U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressing there was no withdrawal being planned.U.S. Vice President Pence to lay out Iran policy in speech Monday: White House officialThe authenticity of the letter, which was addressed to the Iraqi Defense Ministry’s Combined Joint Operations Baghdad and signed by a U.S. general, had been confirmed to Reuters by an Iraqi military source.
Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Abdel Abdul Mahdi told the U.S. ambassador to Baghdad on Monday that both nations needed to implement the Iraqi parliamentary resolution, the premier’s office said in a statement. It did not give a timeline.Khamenei led prayers at the funeral in the Iranian capital, pausing as his voice cracked with emotion. Soleimani, 62, was a national hero in Iran, even to many who do not consider themselves supporters of Iran’s clerical rulers.
The killing of Soleimani has prompted concern around the world that a broader regional conflict could flare.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Read the Letter the Pentagon Accidentally Sent Announcing Withdrawal From IraqThe Department of Defense accidentally sent a draft of a letter to the Iraqi government announcing the withdrawal of troops from the country after almost 17 years
Read more »
Pentagon halts fight against ISIS in Iraq amid new threats to basesU.S. troops have paused their training of Iraqi forces to take on ISIS following a U.S. airstrike that killed a top Iranian commander
Read more »
UK urges Iraq to let its soldiers remain in Iraq: PA MediaBritain has urged Iraq to allow its soldiers to remain and continue to fight aga...
Read more »
Protests across US condemn action in Iran and IraqDemonstrators in dozens of cities around the U.S. gather to protest the Trump administration's killing of an Iranian general and decision to send thousands of additional soldiers to the Middle East.
Read more »
Rockets were fired near two US bases in Iraq amid mounting between the US and IranRockets were reportedly fired near two US bases in Iraq, days after a US airstrike killed top Iranian military leader, Qassem Soleimani.
Read more »