Biden Says US Combat Role In Iraq To Be Over By End Of 2021

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th July, 2021) President Joe Biden said on Monday that the US military's combat role in Iraq will come to a close by the end of the year as US forces switch their focus to training and assisting Iraqi security forces to counter the Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia).

"Our role in Iraq will be... to be available to continue to train, to assist, to help and to deal with ISIS [Islamic State] as it arrives, but we're not going to be by the end of the year in a combat mission," Biden said during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House.

Biden noted that the United States and Iraq are committed to security cooperation, particularly regarding the shared fight against the Islamic State that is critical for the stability of the middle East.

Earlier on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the United States' mission in Iraq would change to one of "advising and training" the local forces and the number of US troops in the country would be based on the needs of the new mission.